Order of the Silver Sun
by Ashimodo
Summary: Reunited at last with his fellow knights, Naruto must come to confront his deepening feelings for his oldest and closest friend. Burdened by a Code that condemns his love as sin, he must struggle against the chains of tradition and scripture even as the world is plunged into war. The Cult of the Dawn has taken the field, and the Holy Knights will answer. Shounen-ai.
1. Chapter 1

_This is the story-wide disclaimer.  
_

**Prologue**

* * *

Know that in ancient days there was war between all men, cruel and endless, and upon the fields of battle stalked a beast with ten tails. Mighty was the beast, and it grew fat upon the slaughter and carrion, and in it was embodied the evil of all men. All things hated and feared the beast, and it feasted upon their hatred. The skies darkened with its breath, the earth shuddered with its touch, and the seas were poisoned with its bile. Death was the soul of the beast, and amidst endless war, all men despaired.

Now it came to pass that a man was born with unclouded eyes, and as he looked upon the earth and its creatures he beheld in them a burning fire. In meditation he learned to wield this fire as a lesser man would a hammer and sword. Beneath his hand, flesh was knit, beasts were calmed, and plague was cast off. Too, wind and water danced for him, and earth and fire bowed to him, and the wonders of thought were made real by his willing, and he is called Sage. Wise was the man, and through his power and teachings he sought to end the war of all lands, and many followed him. For his deeds, and the purity of his heart, he is called Savior.

Now it was that the beast raged, and in his rage war and death were born anew. And so the Sage strove against the beast, and defeated it, and took its spirit within himself that it might be contained, and for this he is called Prophet. Yet such was the power of the beast that it could not be contained when the time should come that the Prophet must pass from the earth, and knowing this, the Prophet used his power to shatter the fire of the beast. And from the shattering arose nine lesser beasts. And taking the body of the ten-tailed beast, the Prophet shattered his own body, that his fire might consume the body of the beast. Now the fire of the Prophet was without measure, and as it consumed the beast it shone with the light of stars, and all men wondered at it, and it is called the Silver Sun.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

The knight dismissed the page quietly, finishing undressing alone. His armor hung on its rack nearby, gleaming in the soft candlelight of his private quarters. The sun had long since set, the hours of sparring and practice ending only after all light had faded. Now, the young man stood naked, enjoying the cool air that drifted through his high window and the weight of the armor at last lifted. A bath had been drawn up for him, but he delayed that pleasure for a little while longer. The first bell for the evening meal had not yet rung; he had time to spare.

At last sinking leisurely into the small wooden tub, he sighed blissfully as the hot water soothed away the aches of training. His Lord had drilled him hard today, but the knight did not regret the exertion. If he was to become as great a paladin as his father, he would need to endure trials far greater than a day sparring his Lord. He sighed again, sinking lower into the tub, and permitted his mind to wander, and his eyes to rest, just for a little while...

A soft knock startled him from his dozing, and he rose slightly.

"Sir Knight?" a servant called. "The second bell has rung. Our Lord has sent me to see you properly attired for the evening meal."

The knight sank back into the cooling water. "I can dress myself, faith," he laughed. "I will not keep you or our Lord waiting." He stepped out into the cold air, drying himself briskly and being extra sure that his hair was not wet before dressing in the clothes already set out for him: sable linen trousers and soft calf hide boots, and sable tunic, over which was belted a blazing orange surcoat bearing the arms of his household. He took a moment to straighten himself in the small bronze mirror nearby before striding out into the hall.

The squire bowed low, and the knight nodded to him politely. "Inari. It's been a long time. Faith, you're taller than I remember."

The squire smiled, still bowing. "Yes, Sir Knight." Inari was just reaching that age when boys began to grow more like weeds. The knight sniffed primly.

"I'm not sure I like it. You'll be taller than me, soon, faith."

"We can't have that, Sir Knight."

"No, we cannot." He sniffed again, keeping up the aura of pretension as long as he could, before grinning broadly at the young boy. Inari winked cheerily, and they both began to laugh. The knight hugged the boy fiercely, then held him at arm's length, looking him over. "University has been good to you, faith," he noted approvingly.

"Would you be proud to learn _I _have not been good to _it_?"

The young man grinned. "I should not be, but faith! You will tell me everything over the meal!" They began to walk down the wide passage towards the great hall, passing tapestries of bright landscapes and mythic heroes. "How was the journey? The city?" He grinned cheekily. "The women?"

Inari coughed, blushing. "I'm afraid that'll have to wait," he told his mentor as they descended a flight of spiral stairs. "I'm sure you'll be otherwise occupied this evening."

"What are you hiding, brother?"

But the answer came quickly. No sooner had they set foot in the great hall than the knight noticed three figures seated at the head table. One was dressed in brown breeches and tunic and wore a forest green surcoat, a silver mask hiding his face. The second wore a gown of emerald satin and a silver coronet that held back cherry pink tresses. But it was the third that held the knight's attention.

The raven haired man stood from the table, midnight blue tabard falling elegantly around him.

"Dunce," he said loudly, cutting through the noise of the hall, "you are late!"

* * *

The three had ridden in silence for many hours. Though they had not seen each other for nearly two years, much that might be said had already been said. Now, they rode in the alien illumination of the strange land.

"Myoboku is beautiful this time of year," Sakura murmured. Sasuke nodded absently, letting his eyes wander over the foreign landscape. Much of the land was covered in fens and marshes, and great wetland trees lined the road, surrounded by tall reeds and silver lilies glowing in pale moonlight. Fireflies drifted around them in multitudes, sparkling dragonflies of sapphire and emerald snatching up the odd gnat or mosquito. Strange vines with violet leaves hung from the swaying branches of the trees in vast curtains, bundles of teardrop seeds lighting the alien paths of the fens. All around was the steady chorus of uncounted frogs. "Is it not strange the fireflies are so numerous, considering the number of toads and dragons?" she asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "Myoboku is a sacred mountain. Many animals behave strangely here, and plants grow here that grow nowhere else in the world. Perhaps Lord Jiraiya can provide some insight. We are not far, now."

The two younger knights looked forward, and indeed, the land did begin to rise. Less than a league ahead the road sloped upward, switching back and ending in a great castle built into the mountain. Castle Myoboku rose straight out of the cliffside, four great towers joined by a wall nearly forty feet high. Behind this rose the keep itself, boring deep into the mountain, nigh impenetrable. While the sun had set on all else, the snow-topped mountain still burned with the fading light.

"It will be good to see Naruto and Lord Jiraiya again." Sakura sighed. "The Holy City seems empty without those two and their mischief." Kakashi hummed in agreement, and Sasuke smiled. "Are you planning on waiting until tomorrow to issue challenge, brother?" she asked.

"It would be best, I think," the raven knight answered. "No doubt he has worked himself to exhaustion in preparation. A knight should always fight his opponent on equal footing, is that not right, Master?"

The Paladin nodded idly, right eye drifting over the surrounding landscape. In truth, he would rather his two students not indulge in so strong a rivalry, but they were incorrigible. In the end, sparring was better than the destruction they would wreck in their frequent brawls.

As the three traveled along the road, a call went out from the watchtowers and the gates were made ready to open. Naruto paused in his training and looked towards the great portcullis with curiosity, when a shout from Jiraiya brought him back, just barely dodging a blow from the sage's great pole-hammer. The white haired man did not let up, and the young knight did not see who entered the keep before they were led away.

A page greeted the trio politely as they dismounted and released their horses to the stable boys. Traditionally a visit from a knight, and certainly a paladin, would have warranted a welcome by the lord himself, but such traditions had a tendency to be overlooked on Myoboku. Secluded, hundreds of miles south of the Holy City, the mountain held to its own traditions, and the friends of the Lord Jiraiya respected this. The travelers let themselves be guided to their usual chambers, where servants helped to wash away the dust of the road, and afterward they gathered in the parlor most commonly set aside for the masked paladin and his entourage, as they had done upon their first visit to the mountain castle.

"It has not changed at all," Sakura smiled, laying her hand on a velvet-covered armchair. There were four such chairs in the small room, arranged according to the peculiarities of their owners. Opposite the door was a fireplace, where a lively blaze helped ward away the cool evening that drifted through the open window. The chair reserved for their master was positioned in the corner behind the door, beside the window and facing the fire. The seat which Sasuke had appointed his own was in the opposite corner, and Sakura and Naruto had positioned theirs in such a way that she was on the raven's left, facing the window, and Naruto was on his right, before the fire. The company had spent many evenings so, too often audience to the heated quarrels between the Namikaze and Uchiha. Their subjects, at least, were varied and, in their own fashion, intriguing: fighting technique, military tactics, political history, and, as if of necessity, religious code. This last always proved the greatest frustration.

Sasuke gave a quiet "hm" as he lounged in his own chair. This castle - no, this room - was the only place in which he had ever felt at ease. Anywhere else in the world he was a knight, a lord, a representative of his Order. Yet here there were no masks, no pretenses; here, he could lounge if he wished to lounge, laugh if he wished to laugh, cry if he wished to cry (though this last he had never indulged). More than any room in his childhood, this high chamber, in its secluded castle upon its distant mountain, was _safe_.

Kakashi was silent, standing beside the window with his back to the fire. As ever, a polished silver mask hid his nose and mouth, and a ribbon of black silk covered his left eye. Even here, upon sacred Mount Myoboku, he hid from some unknown foe. The past, perhaps? Himself? If any knew, they were silent.

Sakura sat delicately, watching the fire and waiting for the summons to the evening meal. Her dress was a simple affair, forest green satin that hugged her maturing body quite flatteringly, belted at the waist by a silk sash embroidered with pink rosebuds. Her neck was bare, and her hands were easily hidden away in the long open sleeves that came almost beyond her wrist, their edges quite nearly reaching the floor. The servants had despaired over the length of her hair; she had never kept it very long, and it left them grasping for some manner of adornment. Yet quickly enough a twining silver circlet had been found to hold it behind her ears with suitable ornament, though she had refused flatly to wear either earring or necklace. The faint scars of hard battles were all that adorned her pale collar and slender neck, and these she wore with a silent dignity that shamed the fairest jewel.

There was a quiet knock at the door, and Sasuke stood to open it. In the doorway was a tall, brown-haired boy with fierce, laughing eyes.

"Lords, Lady," the boy said, bowing deeply. It seemed he was barely managing that much composure in his excitement.

Sakura laughed. "Little Inari! Do not stand there like a servant; come!" And she opened her arms to him. The boy's grin widened and he threw himself into her embrace as she laughed again. After a moment they drew apart and she kissed his brow before holding him away to look at him properly. "You have grown so much since we last saw each other," she noted. "No young ladies have stolen you heart from me, have they?"

The boy's eyes sparkled. "Never!" he declared. He turned to the others.

Sasuke's greeting was more reserved but equally heartfelt. The two grasped each other by the arm like brothers. "It is good to see you again," the raven said truthfully.

"And you, Sasuke."

The boy's hair was tousled suddenly by Kakashi, and the silver mask did nothing to conceal his cheerful grin. "I have been hearing things from your Masters at University," he said, and Inari flushed. "Yes, that manner of things," the Paladin nodded, knowing the train of the boy's thought. "Perhaps Naruto was not the finest choice of knights for you."

"The Order needs more men like Naruto," Sasuke said, his soft voice laced with uncommon force, and his eyes looked approvingly upon the young squire. Sakura nodded her agreement.

"I would not contend otherwise," Kakashi surrendered. "But my fellows compel me to chasten the knave and so," he struck the top of the boy's head lightly, "consider thyself chastened."

That was about as much as one could truly expect from the paladin in such matters.

"I had thought Naruto would have greeted us at our arrival," Sasuke said, more somberly. "Did you not have word of our coming?"

The squire shook his head. "I do not know. I arrived only late this morning myself. By then my Lord had taken the field with Lord Jiraiya. I spoke only briefly with the Lord Sage before coming to you." Even so, Sasuke and Sakura seemed troubled, and Kakashi's smile had faded. Inari looked between them, growing worried. "Do you have reason to suspect a messenger has been delayed?" he asked.

"We have reason to suspect worse," Sasuke admitted, his voice bleak, but he would say no more.

The echo of a distant bell brought them from their contemplations. Sakura struggled briefly to lock her dark thoughts behind a smile as Sasuke and their Master did the same. Inari, it seemed, had more trouble, but at a joking word from the lady knight the shadow left his eyes and he laughed again. Another servant came to announce the readiness of the evening meal, and the four followed him to the great hall.

* * *

The great hall of Castle Myoboku was a work of art, and unlike any in the world. To start, the entire room seemed to deny the concept of a straight line; even the floor was a maze of stepped depressions and walkways, though thankfully the road to the high table was clear. Forming the central aisle were two rows of stone columns, but without any seeming order; carved in the shape of trees, they ranged in size from saplings to giants, all clustered and scattered as naturally as any true forest, sculpted branches interweaving to form an arch of leaves stretching from one end of the hall to the other. Nestled amongst the roots were the subtle grooves and shelves where the household took their rest, twisting stone rising to form sinuous tables for each small grove. From one of the many mountain springs above, water flowed in subtle channels down the granite boughs to form crystal clear pools that drained into swift-moving streams, crossed by bridges of twisted roots, and emptied themselves beyond the walls. Every leaf was of brilliant colored glass - green, purple, blue, and white - that caught the glow of a thousand tiny crystal lanterns nestled amongst them. Instead of tapestries, the violet-colored vines of the fens grew, carefully tended, with their glowing fruits twinkling amongst the glass. And at the head of the hall, shading the lord's table, was a single ancient peach tree, boughs adorned in eternal crystal bloom.

Even after a lifetime spent ruling the castle, the old sage Jiraiya still managed to lose himself in its beauty. He sighed deeply, closing his eyes and letting the memory of peach blossoms wash over him. Some memories were painful, perhaps, but even they were a blessing. They strengthened him, renewed him, reminded him that he was not yet heartless, even after so long. Falling into absolute stillness, he allowed his spirit to reach out to those around him. Sensing Kakashi and the following of younger knights, he opened his eyes and stood to greet them.

Even without the tough leather hunting boots the old paladin always wore, Jiraiya was an imposing figure. Standing over six feet, he was taller even than Kakashi, and he towered over Sasuke, Sakura, and Inari. Having bathed and changed from his armor, he now wore a dark grey linen tunic that covered his arms to the wrist, and equally dark hosen. Over this was a green tunic that fell to his knees and reached just below the elbow, and finally a crimson surcoat with gold clasps along the front, belted by a wide and heavily embossed strip of dark red leather.

"Welcome, all," he rumbled. His was not an unusually deep voice, but after years as a commander of armies it had become habit for him to speak with volume. He did not shout; rather, it was as if the very stone of the castle spoke with him.

"Lord Jiraiya," Kakashi saluted, echoed by his students as Sasuke and Inari bowed and Sakura curtsied. Jiraiya laughed.

"Come, friends," he said, "we are far from the Holy City and its ceremony. The men of Myoboku do not bow to their fellows, and friends do not bow to friends!" He walked around the great stone table and spread his arms to them. Sakura embraced him happily.

"My master sends her greetings and well-wishes," she said quietly. Jiraiya's smile widened.

"Few words bring greater happiness to me. The blessings of our Lady are treasured." He released her and turned to Sasuke.

"Lord Uchiha," he nodded, laying a hand on the young knight's shoulder.

Sasuke returned the gesture. "Lord Sage. Your home is ever a comfort to us in these times of darkness."

Jiraiya nodded again. "May it be so until the end of days." He turned to Kakashi.

The two paladins did not exchange words, but rather two simple leather-bound books. Sakura looked away pointedly, but said nothing. Though the sage made no greeting to Inari, having already done so not an hour before, he nonetheless flashed the boy a smile and tousled his hair. A light chime rang from the kitchens and two doors swung open on either side of the hall. Jiraiya hurried them to their seats as servants slipped easily among stone trees, bearing the feast.

Sakura watched with barely contained excitement as the magnificent spread was paraded past. This had always been her favorite memory of Jiraiya's home. As a young trainee, she had been speechless when she had first been invited to the lord's table, and the extravagance of her first meal on the mountain had humbled her. She had been terribly jealous of Naruto when he informed her that every evening meal was so lavish.

Sakura was surprised that Naruto was still absent when Jiraiya led the evening prayer. Her mind raced with possible explanations. Was he preparing some trick to spring upon them? Had he been injured on the training field? Was he in another petty bout with his lord?

Sasuke seemed to be wondering the same, but rather than puzzling through the mystery himself, he simply asked the sage.

Jiraiya frowned. "No, I do not believe there is anything to keep him from the table, save perhaps weariness. Inari," he said to the squire, who was about to take a bite of lemon seared carp, "go and see to it that our wayward knight joins us."

"Yes lord," the boy said, looking at the simmering fish mournfully, though he managed to snatch a bite before dashing off. When he returned with the knight in tow, Sasuke stood and called to his old friend.

"Dunce, you are late!"

The insult hung in the air like mill-dust near a brand, and the entire castle seemed to hold its breath.

Yet the blonde knight's initial flash of indignation quickly gave way to a beaming joy that lifted the hall with its radiance. "Uchiha!" As Naruto strode towards the head table it was clear from the spring of his step that only the faint vestiges of dignity held him from a wild dash, the last two strides he covered in an easy leap as he embraced his friend. Sasuke, in uncharacteristic display, returned the gesture warmly. After a moment's time the two parted, and touched their brows together fondly as they locked their gaze. "I have missed you, faith," the younger knight murmured, his breath ghosting across the pale lips of the other.

"And I, you," Sasuke answered quietly. Naruto drew back, eyes bright, and turned next to Sakura, who he kissed lightly and embraced.

"It has been too long," the lady knight whispered in his ear.

"Truly." The young man released her, but kept one hand on her arm. The other he clasped behind the raven's neck to draw him closer. "Your letters were a blessing," he said to them both, "but - faith - I have wanted to see you with my own eyes almost the minute we parted."

"Your own letters sustained me in my times of doubt," Sasuke said, grasping the knight's shoulder. "Without them, I would be long lost."

Naruto's eyes shone, but a quiet cough from the side turned them flat and dull. He released his comrades and straightened, turning to the silver-haired paladin.

"Lord Hatake," he said coolly. "Your letter of account is late. I expect you to deliver it to me personally within the week."

The older knight froze, eye widening in shock and horror. "N-Naruto?" Dear, sweet, shining Naruto, speaking to him so chillingly, looking upon him so heartlessly, cruel and uncaring, for the sake of a tax account? In the two years since their parting, was there no affection left? Where had gone the warmth, where the joy, the excitement, the shared blessings of master and pupil? Where was his Naruto? What had the miserable paladin done to deserve so harsh a rebuke?

The man noticed the gleam in his student's eye and stilled.

"We are not amused," he said flatly.

"To the contrary," the gold-haired knight replied, grinning maliciously, "we are very amused!" With a laugh he swept his old Master up in a swift embrace. "You are like the father I never had, Master," he said truthfully. "I am glad you're here, faith." Kakashi returned the embrace gently. _This _was the young knight he had trained and fought beside. _This _was Naruto.

"I expect the account on my desk before Sabbath, faith."

The devil.

* * *

The evening meal was from there uneventful. Naruto bowed his head in private thanks before decimating the spread together with Inari, though how the knight managed to consume such vast quantities while still filling the ears of his companions was a mystery to all. At last he broached the question the others had been dreading since their arrival.

"But how is it you came before the messenger, faith?" he asked. "Surely you did not intend to arrive unannounced?"

Sasuke and Sakura looked uneasy, and Kakashi's eye was shadowed. "Perhaps such things should be spoken of amidst the privacy of strong walls," the paladin suggested quietly. Jiraiya took the meaning at once, though Naruto noticed only the distress of his friends.

"What is wrong?" he demanded. "Has something happened, faith?"

"Many things have happened, Naruto," Sakura answered soothingly. "But such things should not be brought to a feast of merriment and reunion."

"A feast, I think, nearing its close," Jiraiya suggested. He stood and clapped once, the sound ringing out across the stone and crystal forest. The great hall fell instantly silent as all eyes and ears turned to him. His voice boomed over the assembly as he spoke. "Friends," he said, "it has been a night of pleasant merriment, good food, and happy reunions, but the dawn waits for no man, lord or serf, and so I bid you peace and health until the morrow. Stay and feast as you wish; I and my fellows shall retire. Blessings and Grace upon you all." There was a final murmur of agreement before the company turned away, some excusing themselves as well, others electing to continue as they were. Jiraiya turned to the other knights, taking Sakura on his arm and leading them from the hall.

They did not retire to Kakashi's chambers, as they had expected, but Jiraiya's. His study showed more signs of use, predictably, with pages of parchment, pristine vellum, and other such necessities scattered across a large and well-appointed writing desk. A fire burned cheerfully in a small hearth behind it, though there was no window by which to allow the evening chill, nor need for light, as several small crystal lamps glowed dimly from the corners of the room. A small sofa and velvet chair sat opposite the desk, flanking the door, and at the desk itself stood a chair of similar make, though finer. In this last Sakura was invited to sit, the sage preferring to stand when discussing matters of import. The others were of similar manner, though Naruto once more began to feel the effects of his training and took his ease upon the couch. Inari, in an effort to remain unobtrusive, stood by the other chair quietly.

"Now then," Jiraiya began, locking the door to the study, "there has been a shadow upon your souls since before you entered my house. Let it be voiced here without preamble."

The three travelers glanced at Naruto before Kakashi spoke. "The Cult of the Dawn has begun to move again." The room was silent for several long moments as the others considered the significance of those words.

"So you did send a messenger," Jiraiya guessed, brow furrowed. The paladin nodded.

"I do not understand, faith," Naruto said loudly. "How could you have made better time? Did he get lost? Are the roads in disrepair?"

Sasuke's eyes were dark. "We guess it more likely he was killed."

"But - faith! - the sanctity of the Messengers!" the knight exclaimed.

"Such men as form the Cult respect only the sanctity of themselves," Jiraiya told him solemnly. "We must from now on act with the understanding that the roads are no longer safe. Messengers may be intercepted and travelers accosted. Even the knights of the Order cannot be expected to hold such a field against such a foe." Naruto seemed to shrink at these words. Jiraiya turned once more to Kakashi. "Where else have their forces struck?"

"Both the Kingdom of Winds and Kingdom of Storms have sent word of nether creatures harassing the peasantry. Their knights keep the enemy in check, but it is an unusually bold move from the Cult. The other Kingdoms are reluctant to send their own knights in aid, for fear of stretching themselves thin in the event of an assault on their own holdings." Kakashi shook his head. "Regrettable, but understandable. The nether is a powerful and relentless force to contend with."

"Powerful and relentless, perhaps, but not invincible," Sasuke said firmly. "Lady Tsunade contends even now with our king to send aid to the desert knights."

"Yet without the authority of an Arch-Prelate, the knights cannot act against the wishes of the kings," Sakura continued. "The Sunlit Throne has stood empty too long. We risk division and destruction."

"A risk long considered since my Master's passing," Jiraiya said pointedly. Sakura bowed her head in deference. "But the kings have forgotten the purpose of our Order," the sage went on. "To them, the Arch-Prelacy represents only an unwanted authority to which they must unwillingly submit. So long as the Throne remains empty, they are free to do as they will. They will never elect a successor."

"Which is why we must convince them otherwise," Sasuke said. "_You _must convince them otherwise."

The old sage offered a mirthless laugh. "I have no doubt I can persuade our dear king to call a summit, but what then? The others will not elect Tsunade. Her royal blood places her loyalties under suspicion in the eyes of the other kings." The three travelers turned to each other, a meaningful look passing between them, one which did not go unnoticed by the sage. "You do not intend for Tsunade to ascend the Throne," he guessed shrewdly.

"No, Lord Sage," Sakura answered, little more than a whisper.

Jiraiya was silent as he considered this. "So you would have me influence our king to elevate another Grand Master to the Arch-Prelacy," he said quietly. "Presuming my success, we would still command but two votes. What of the necessary third?"

"That depends upon the Grand Master in question," Sakura said. "Lady Tsunade urges towards Lord Aido."

"Aido would make a poor Arch-Prelate," Jiraiya argued at once. "He is a warrior, not a priest."

"And in times of war, which is the better to lead?" Kakashi asked pointedly.

"We will not always be at war." But for all his protests the sage seemed to be warming to the idea, striding back and forth across the chamber. "I can understand our Lady's purposes," he said, "and they are firm in their reasoning. You would have the king of Winds cast the final vote to our favor?"

"We believe Lord Gaara can impress upon him the importance of that, yes," Kakashi said. "So long as the king does not fear Lord Aido will favor the Land of Storms."

They fell quiet then as Jiraiya considered the matter. At length Sasuke glanced aside to the silent Naruto, only to find the younger knight had drifted from wakefulness. He moved quietly to kneel near his companion, watching the young man's face as he slept.

"He seems troubled," the raven noted to the others. Indeed, the knight's brow was furrowed, and his face lacked the trappings of a peaceful rest.

"He has had dark dreams, of late," Jiraiya answered. "I have felt the beast within him stirring for some weeks now."

"The seal-"

"Is well and whole," the sage assured him. "The prayers and blessings of his father have weathered the years better than could be hoped, but the power of the beast is like no other. I know not how, but it grows."

Sasuke touched the scarred face gently, brushing aside a few golden hairs as Sakura spoke. "I had thought the beast was to be purified," she accused. "How does it yet grow within him?"

"I can only guess," the old paladin admitted. "Even as we stand here, its power flows through Naruto's soul like a river, cleansed and untainted, yet still there are forces at work that strengthen it. Perhaps it is the darkness of the age; perhaps it feeds upon the nether drawn forth by the Cult of the Dawn; I do not know. All I know is that I have done all that can be done, and still he is troubled."

Sasuke rubbed a calloused hand across the man's cheek. "He is not the only one to suffer dark dreams." With a sigh, he turned to Inari. "Come, we will take him to his bed. If you would permit us leave?" he asked of the two paladins. They simply nodded their assent and watched as the raven lifted his friend easily and stepped from the chamber, the squire close behind.

The knight's stride was smooth and steady as they slipped through tapestried halls. Entering Naruto's chambers silently, Sasuke sat the sleeping knight upon the bed, resting the golden head on his shoulder as he motioned to the squire to remove his master's boots. Gently they undressed the young lord before laying him beneath clean linen sheets. The raven knight sat at his side for a time, pale fingers running through soft yellow hair as he watched his friend struggle with his demons, real and imagined.

"Can you help him?" Inari asked at length.

Sasuke seemed to consider this. "Perhaps," he said at last, quiet. "Perhaps not." His eyes did not leave the face of his beloved friend. "But I shall try."

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_So ends Chapter 1. As you can probably tell, this is a High Medieval take on the _Naruto _setting, which I hope I can portray adequately. If there are any particular nuances that you think I fail to address properly, let me know, since I'm not exactly an expert on the genre. If you are or happen to know someone with experience in that regard, I am looking for a beta to help me improve the quality of my work and also keep me on track. This story will bear very strong similarities to the manga, but with a few important differences (most notably the setting), and as this is a Medieval European setting there will be little or no Japanese language. I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter. Please leave a review, even if it's only a few words._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

**"We are of the Pillar and the Maelstrom, the God and the Beast. We are Lord of Plots, Exarch of Dominion. We are the Invocation of Command, Guardian of Power, King. Witness the number of our authority, and it is Nine."**

Blue eyes opened, weary and vulnerable, as the bestial voice thundered through the catacombs of the knight's mind. About his ankles swirled some liquid of a filthy and unwholesome nature, and the cold stone of the sepulcher was rough and jagged, recessed by gaping alcoves, black and sinister in their emptiness, mouths that groaned and wailed in silence to be filled. But to these the knight paid no mind; demons of his own making did not compare to the true beast within.

Great bars of bronze rose before him into the dark unknown heights of the vault, each as thick as an ancient oak, and scribed with sacred words and scripture, curling like vines about a mighty trunk. In the center of the slit of the great doors, far beyond his reach, was the letter of the seal, which bound the beast in prayer, blessing, and ritual stronger than the mightiest steel. The work of a paladin to whom the like of which had not been seen in a thousand years; the work of his father.

"Demon," Naruto murmured, and the word seemed small before the vastness of the gate.

**"Child."**

Behind the impenetrable bars towered the crimson body of the nine-tailed demon fox. Its tails twitched idly this way and that, but the gaze of its great slitted eyes was fixed. The patience and cunning of millennia stirred in those eyes, rising in confidence and conviction, and shining with the fires of an ancient hate.

"Why do you disturb my rest, faith?"

The laugh of the fox was cruel and hollow, echoing through the catacombs before fading into the dark. **"The weak demand rest. We are strong."**

"I am not that strong," the knight sighed, closing his eyes once more, striving to return to untroubled slumber, but the will of the demon would not release him.

**"We could be," **the creature murmured softly, bending low to level its gaze. Its breath rippled the surface of the water and fell like a warm caress upon the face of the knight. **"Together we could reshape this world. Together, none would oppose us. It is in your power..."**

The golden-haired knight did not open his eyes. Since he had first walked the haunted recess of his mind, since he had first discovered the creature bound within him, it had whispered thusly to him, offerings of power. "How long have you tempted me, faith, and how many times have I refused you?" Naruto spoke simply. The demon laughed again, like a father to a guileless son, low and gentle.

**"Rather, how many times have you not?" **The knight's sharp eyes met the vicious orbs of the beast, who laughed again, harshly this time. **"Yes! Anger and fury are our meat, despair our wine." **It cackled to the shrouded heights of the vault before sinking once more to lock red eyes with blue. **"You know you are not strong enough. With our power, your petty Cult could be swept aside, peace made law in all the lands... Imagine! Imagine the lives you might guard with our power!"**

"A tainted power."

**"And one you have tasted before." **The beast stretched itself languidly. **"Power is a sword, which may cut or parry as the knight deems. You know this. Why do you refuse us?"**

"Are you not Lord of Plots? I will not use a sword with a will of its own, faith." This was the second pillar of his resistance; the first stood upon his sanctity as a Holy Knight: he would not draw upon the Nether, even for a cause that was right and good. Greater men than he had fallen thusly from the path of righteousness. Nether was the spirit of demons, tortured and hateful, and of souls flayed by misery and cruelty at the will of dark magicians. With it they might lay a curse upon the righteous, or perform unholy acts of necromancy, and like all fires of the spirit it might too be bent to the workings of magic. In all, a vile and twisted power, begetting many of the woes of the world.

**"And so you will lose **_**all **_**you hold dear," **the fox hissed, but it seemed not the hiss of a schemer foiled; rather, laden with the toils of a master weary over an intractable pupil. **"We might **_**aid **_**you. Indeed, we would aid you now. We have knowledge of value to you and your fellow knights. Dreadful knowledge."**

Naruto did not notice the nature of the harsh voice. "You have offered nothing now that has not been offered before," he said. He seemed to be growing impatient, but stilled himself; conflict only empowered the demon, he knew, and he would not grant it satisfaction.

The beast laughed again, turned vicious by the boy's insolence. **"You miss the mark," **it growled.** "Are we not Lord of Plots, you say? Tell us, what news from the Kingdom of Winds? What news of your dear, lonely, desert friend?"**

The knight's eyes widened, suddenly torn. "What do you know of Gaara, faith?" he demanded, cursing himself at once for engaging the creature. Yet if the beast knew something they did not... They could no longer rely on the Messengers, now; what if some distant call had been lost upon the road? He could not afford that chance.

The fox did not laugh, but grinned wide and cruel. **"Are we not King of Demons? We hear the voices of our kin across the lands and seas. The Nether whispers dark tidings of all things evil. But we do not offer our knowledge freely..."** The knight was silent, brazen, waiting for the cost to be leveled upon him. The fox licked its great fangs as it observed the young man, at last growing impatient. **"The creatures which lay siege to the knights of the desert are forged of the nether and the corpses of the dead. Slaughter and consume them until we are sated. That is our price."**

"Done," the knight said at once. The demon's ears pricked and he gazed at Naruto with curiosity.

**"Done, indeed..." **it said, almost to itself, ancient mind flashing with unknowable thoughts. **"Here then are the tidings brought to us upon the winds of Hell: two servants of Dawn make their way across the sea of sands, hunting the Sacrifice which you call **_**Gaara**_**. Against such as they, it is poorly matched; it **_**will **_**fall, and in its fall its spirit will be torn asunder, that the one of our kin shall be released. You cannot prevent its defeat, but you **_**may **_**prevent its death..."**

Pointed ears pricked as if at a sudden call, and vermillion eyes widened before the beast let forth a howling laugh. Naruto felt the will of the beast relinquish him, and in an instant his mind flew from the catacombs and into wakefulness.

* * *

There are many types of demons, Sasuke knew. Some took the form of beasts; others, not. In the pits of his black eyes an evil power stirred, probed to action by a dark and wretched thought. Taint calls to taint, it is said. Dark eyes churned with blood, and his gaze flitted between the worlds of men and monsters.

The Nether called to men such as Sasuke Uchiha. Wrath and fury were the curse of his bloodline, a bloodline born and condemned in the days of the Prophet. Yet hatred might be used, directed, by those with the will to master it. And none have ever claimed that Sasuke Uchiha lacked for will. The fury of the raven knight was cold and keen, born of misfortune, yet honed by perspective. Therefore his fury was not of the sort which festers and corrupts, nor that which flares bright and violent before it is spent, but rather that which stands like a deep pool, from which to draw at need and whim. When doubt creeps into the mind, and fear struggles with courage for dominion of the heart, there was hatred to wash it out; a well of strength and certitude in times of weakness.

Yet it was a dark well, held in reproach by the Order of Holy Knights, whose fury was for injustice and abuse - selfless fury, for the sake of the weak and the powerless. And let no mistake be made: the hatred of Sasuke Uchiha was a selfish hatred. Unless he made it otherwise.

Ultimately, despite the meanness of his own past, the deepest source of his hatred was one which is shared by few men now on Earth: the hatred in the blood, in the bone and flesh, and in the eyes. The bloodline of Sasuke Uchiha was steeped in this hatred, as mighty and insurmountable as the force of prophecy, a force which it might indeed have been granted. A prophecy of eternal hatred, and eternal conflict, until the ending of the line. It was from the power of this dark destiny that his kin had nurtured their 'gift': a gift for illusion and perception, dominance and control; a gift for which they wept blood.

It was upon this gift which Sasuke Uchiha now drew, in the hopes of aiding his beloved friend. As his cursed eyes parted the veil between the worlds of men and spirits, he beheld the nature of the conflict brewing within the golden-haired knight.

The body of his friend oozed with a malignant power of unquestionable source, the color of blood, issuing from the navel and filling his mouth and nose and eyes, as if to drown him. The raven knight was filled with disgust and disdain as the tainted aura strove with the holy spirit of the younger man. How dare the demon within seek to undermine the soul of Naruto Namikaze, the most virtuous knight Sasuke had ever known? How dare it violate the mind and body of so shining a beacon of light, so rare in this darkening world? Yet for all the power of the beast, Naruto was its match. It was not the weakness of the knight which left him to struggle against it, but rather the strength of the foe with which he strove.

A lesson the young knight had taught Sasuke himself.

Therefore, though the ancient hatred of his blood held the younger man in contempt, Sasuke did not - could not - and willingly stretched out his hand as a crimson tear wept from his eye.

At once the red miasma withdrew, though the Uchiha could only guess at the authority he truly held. Did the demon fear the combined will of two Holy Knights? Or was it perhaps merely taken by surprise? A yet more terrible possibility: did it bend to the authority of a power dark than its own?

Sasuke was not given long to ponder these, for at once Naruto awoke in a start, reaching out to grasp at some anchor to the world as he gasped for air. Sasuke's hand was in his without hesitation, and the raven knight gripped the other man firmly, his other hand tangled in bright yellow hair. Naruto's eyes darted violently, wide and vulnerable, before at last falling to the raven's own. His brow was damp, and his breathing came quick and shallow as he tightened his hold around pale fingers.

The moment of panic did not last, though. In moments the blonde had calmed, breath deepening and eyes glowing dimly with awareness as cool, soothing fingers ran through his hair. "Sasuke," he sighed, the name heavy with relief, yet he did not release the other's hand.

"Of course, dunce," Sasuke said lightly. "Who else?"

"I had hoped for a waking kiss from our lady knight," Naruto suggested, but a weary smile danced at the corner of his lips. His hand moved to wipe the line of blood that now fell down the raven's face, blue eyes shining with recognition and gratitude. But at once his eyes had widened again, and he sat up with another flash of panic. "Gaara!"

Sasuke's eyes laughed at him. "Shall I guess how thoughts of our lady knight led to our desert friend?" he asked wryly, but he did not miss the severity of his friend's voice. More somber, "Have you been granted a vision?"

"Not from God, faith, and not through my eyes, but that does not make it less meaningful." Naruto frowned, moving to cast off the linens that covered him. Sasuke stood with him as he glanced about his room, noticing his squire for the first time since he had awoken. A quick word and the boy tossed him hosen and tunic, but the raven knight stopped the blonde with a hand on his arm as he moved to dress himself.

"Where do you think you are going at this hour?" he demanded. "Your day has been long and the morrow may be longer still. You need rest."

"Rest is for the weak," Naruto countered, and in the dark recesses of his mind he imagined he heard a mocking laugh.

"Naruto," Sasuke said, quiet, forceful, and demanding, "did this vision come from the demon?" At this the younger knight hesitated, and it was answer enough for his oldest friend, who released his arm and stepped away, brow furrowed and eyes dark with meaning. "Brother..."

"The beast has never led me wrong, faith," Naruto defended at once, to the surprise of all, but of the three the gold-haired knight wondered most as he was struck with the realization that his words were true. For all the malice and arrogance and schemes of the creature bound within him, for all the price it laid on its power and knowledge, it had never once betrayed him. Mislead, yes; tempted and taunted, yes; but in the end Naruto had grown as much by the nurturing of the fox as by his human masters. As this recognition crashed over him, he could not determine how best to act upon it.

After a moment he came to the decision that, for the time, he would merely trust that the words of the creature were truthful, and hope that his friends and masters would accept his faith as their own. Therefore he dressed quickly, not even bothering to belt his tunic about his waist, and made for the personal study of the Lord Jiraiya, Sasuke and Inari silent at his heels.

Yet as he walked, the nature of the circumstances in which he now found himself slowly settled upon his thoughts. He was forced to admit to the truth that his strength was severely taxed by the day's exertions, and the same could undoubtedly be said of the other knights and their Master, who had spent near to a month upon the road. Their mounts, too, would be weary - excepting of course the warhorses, who would not have been ridden save in battle - and so fresh mounts for travel and luggage would be needed, and horses were not numerous upon Mount Myoboku. Could he afford to wait a day, to rest and prepare, or was his mission urgent even to the hour? The demon had implied as much. And he had determined to trust its word.

* * *

Only by her supreme dignity as a lady knight was the weariness of long travel and long talk held back from the face of Sakura Haruno. In the presence of the sage Jiraiya she would not allow herself to show any sign to betray boredom or inattentiveness, or any sign which might be _construed _to betray such, for she was deep in council with the man and her master and, despite her fatigue, delighted in the political discourse they pursued. Sasuke was a brilliant knight, but he had little heart for such matters, and Naruto could hardly be expected to follow the intricacies of the court, even had he the desire to. Therefore she pursued with relish this fleeting opportunity for serious discussion.

The three were interrupted by the sudden and unannounced entrance of their young blue-eyed knight. The lady's eyes widened as he strode into the chamber, and she nearly gaped when she beheld the streak of blood across Sasuke's face. Kakashi and Lord Jiraiya seemed equally bewildered, pausing in the middle of a thought to stare at the three young men.

"Naruto," the masked paladin said before the gold-haired knight was granted time to speak, "I had thought you would seek rest after the day's exertions." Yet the serious gaze of the younger man and his companions gave him pause. "What troubles you?" he asked, a searching glance cast to the raven at the knight's shoulder, but Sasuke's eyes were flat and gave no hint to him.

Naruto spoke then, without preamble, of the knowledge for which he had bargained. A shadow in his mind urged him to hide the means by which he had attained it, but he would not mislead his friends. Therefore he was prepared for their skepticism and scrutiny when he revealed the origin of his 'vision.'

Kakashi Hatake was unreadable, and none doubted it would be so even were he to unmask himself; the Lord Jiraiya frowned deeply and held his chin in a pose of deep contemplation; and Sakura, torn between doubt in the demon and faith in her friend, offered little solace, as signs of both played across her pale face.

"Do you trust the creature's words?" Jiraiya asked at length. His pupil made a slow, determined nod, eyes shining with certitude. To the amazement of the lady knight, this seemed to satisfy the sage, who nodded in turn and began to speak at once of preparation and travel.

Sakura herself struggled in the face of the old paladin's conviction, her own not-inconsiderable knowledge of demons and the Nether plaguing her with uncertainty. There were countless reasons why the beast would seek to influence her brother knight in such a way: to further tax his strength through travel, or strengthen itself upon the dark magics of necromancy, which assaulted the desert knights, or perhaps, more subtle, to brew conflict between the kingdoms, which would contend with each other over the deeds of the Lord Namikaze and his fellows. The demon fox was both cunning and malicious, and the motives of it and its ilk were always sinister, or so had been her impression through the years she had striven with such creatures. Yet she would stand by her friend and brother, no matter her misgivings on the source of his knowledge. Her decision made, she bent her ear once more to the troubled counsels that filled the chamber.

"...potions and oils for you and your mounts," Jiraiya offered. "It would be sore loss indeed were you to reach the Lord Gaara only to lack the strength to defeat his captors. Indeed, I fear it the more likely that you will be forced to at once flee rather than fight, and for that neither knight nor steed may survive with less than their fullest strength."

"Why would we flee, faith?" Naruto demanded of him, eyes and voice filled with young courage and indignation. "These Cultists intend to murder my friend and fellow knight, faith, and release one of the Nine Demons on the world. I would see them dead at my feet in the hour of our meeting!"

"Your wrath is righteous, brother," Sasuke agreed quietly at his side, "yet I think your courage outstrips you." Turning to Jiraiya, he said, "Am I right in my guess: that such a ritual, as to unbind so powerful a demon, would demand at once great provision and great time to come to conclusion?"

"You guess aright," the sage nodded, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Then they would in likelihood have prepared a sanctuary of some sort, in which to conduct their magics in advent of the ritual. Such a sanctum would be well fortified against interruption."

"Our greatest hope and greatest trial," Kakashi lamented, leaning against the stone wall, his own arms crossed over his chest.

"Why do you say so?" the young man asked.

The lady knight sank into her chair, a hand touching her brow as it furrowed in thought. "It is our hope," she said, the others turning to her once more, "because it suggests a period of grace between the time of Lord Gaara's defeat and his death. In that period we might find him, and his captors, and so accomplish his rescue." Sakura paid only the barest hint of attention to the blonde knight, merely enough to assure herself that he would not be lost in her reasoning. "Yet at once we must also contend with the undoubtedly powerful wards and defenses arrayed against us. And..." Here she hesitated. Her knowledge of ritual was superior to Naruto's, and perhaps Sasuke's as well, but she was neither magician nor sage. Therefore she was unsure of the truth of what she now considered and, seeking guidance, turned to Jiraiya. "The ritual, such as we presume it to be, would demand more than merely two magicians, even were they the most powerful within the Cult," she postulated. Encouraged by the old paladin's nod, she went on with greater surety. "Therefore it is a near certainty, that the two who capture Lord Gaara will be joined by other Cultists. Perhaps all, at once."

"Surely even the capture of a Grand Master and Sacrifice could not compel all Cultists to appear in person!" Sasuke argued. Sakura's brows furrowed once more, acknowledging the point. Further, why send only two on the hunt if others would be required for the final ritual? Would it not be simpler to send, from the outset, as many as were needed?

As if in answer to her silent queries, Jiraiya spoke. "A ritual, such as we have considered it, may be performed by even a single magician," he said to them, "but such a feat would demand months, perhaps even a year, and no mortal has the strength to maintain their will for so long. Therefore, it would behoove the Cult to gather the fullness of their power, or so much as they are able, and so complete their twisted endeavors with all speed."

"They would not abandon their assault upon the knights of Sand and Cloud," Kakashi predicted.

"Even so!" the sage warned, "they have the power to cast out their spirits, even across kingdoms, and so make council and magic amongst themselves. Such specters are not nearly so potent as their bone and blood, but they are dangerous nonetheless, and would serve to aid in the accomplishment of the ritual. Therefore all of the Cult might be present when the time comes to achieve your rescue."

This sat well with no one, even Naruto, whose confidence and bravery often crossed into the realm of foolhardiness. Sakura did not know she had reminded her fellow knight of the words of temptation spoken by his own demon. It had not struck him that he might in time be forced to contend with all the assembled Cultists of the Dawn, and so never had the words of the nine-tailed fox been meaningful to him.

"All such dark musings are immaterial if we cannot discover the sanctuary before the end of the ritual," Kakashi addressed pointedly. Naruto seemed about to offer some answer, but paused, though the masked paladin had guessed his thought. "My wolves are too far to send for. If your ancient friend has not spoken falsely, we, ourselves, will hardly have time enough to reach the Lord Gaara."

"I will serve to track Gaara," Sasuke murmured, and the others turned to look at him, each with their own measure of surprise and curiosity. "My bloodline is not as famed as the Hyuuga for the reach of our sight," he explained, "but the scryers of the Uchiha have ever been powerful, as in all the arts of perception and illusion. My studies have not left me remiss in that art, but I will require a focus, one of exceptional power, in order to overcome the wards no doubt conjured by the Cult to foil us. I hardly think we will not find such a one within the chapter of the Order, at the Court of Sands."

"Then it is to there that you must go with haste," Jiraiya said firmly. "Inari," he turned to the squire, standing nearly forgotten in the corner of the study, "go and wake whom you must to ensure these four are prepared to travel within the hour."

"Yes, lord," the boy said, bowing. "I shall ensure we are ready in half that time."

No knight in the chamber failed to notice his presumption. Sasuke's eyes glinted as a smile pulled at the edges of his lips.

"Have you discovered some sovereign lineage, Your Excellency, as we spoke?"

Inari flushed deeply, and did not dare raise his head for fear of revealing it, though it was apparent to all. He knew it was but an affectionate prod by the raven knight, yet it stung deeply that they had not thought he would be joining them. "I _will_ be following you," he said firmly, rising and turning to Naruto. "Especially _you_, Master."

The knight smiled wide, and the darkness of their talk seemed to lift from him, in some small measure at least.

"I would not have it otherwise, faith."

* * *

_Author's Note:  
_

_Hello again! I'm glad I haven't gotten off to a bad start as far as updates go; I intended to post on Friday, and actually managed it, much to my surprise. I should probably mention that I haven't given this chapter a very thorough look-over, so please let me know if there's any little errors or inconsistencies hidden away.  
_

_As far as reviews go, I'm always happy to get them, but if you feel up to typing out a bit more than 'yay' or 'nay', there are a few specific topics on which you opinions would interest me. What do you think of the more formal style of narration? (Do you think it's suitable, cumbersome, poorly implemented, etc.) How do you feel I've done with the characterization (of the Fox in particular)? Do I provide enough details about the environment and inner thoughts of the characters? Does it feel like the scenes go by too quickly? Not quickly enough? Does dialogue seem disjointed or at odds with the style? Are there certain components of the setting which I need to address more directly?  
_

_I'd love to hear anything you guys have to say, and I'll see you next week!  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

The night was not half done when the party gathered in the courtyard, all but the sage Jiraiya arrayed for long and weary travel. A train of ten horses was led by Inari, for the old paladin would not be joining them upon their adventure to the Kingdom of Winds, and so there were only the four warsteeds of the younger knights, along with their more common mounts and that of the squire, and one further to be used for what baggage they could not arrange upon the others. The elder paladin looked upon them with pride, as a father and mentor, though such a part he had only truly played for the young Naruto, yet each of the others had known and loved the old man almost since they had first trod through the gates of the Order. Jiraiya was an unshakable pillar of the Holy Knights, and even the stoic paladin Kakashi quietly lamented that their meeting should be cut so short.

The knights were attired in the normal dress of an errant member of their Order, who, expecting some trouble upon his road, yet unsure of its time or source, was obliged to wear some armament, yet not the full plate of battle that would tire his steed. Ridding-grieves, lightly plated boots, thick leather gloves, and vambraces were all that guarded limb from blade, and each wore a hauberk of metal links which fell to the knee, split to the waist to permit freedom and a saddle, beneath which was a leather jerkin and linen tunic. Long cloaks of dark wool hung from their shoulders, with hoods to keep off the rain, and scarves to render gusting sands merely an annoyance and less a hazard. The squire wore only a thicker jerkin of hardened leather, not yet afforded a hauberk by his Order.

For the sake of their journey they had elected against the carrying of lances, preferring instead their own particular arms, and each a small quiver of javelins. The masked paladin's _Raikiri _spear was seven feet in length, formed of a blade two feet long, the polished steel shining and etched in symbols of blessing and enchantment, affixed to a shaft of white ash, in turn inlaid with silver and wrapped in dark green leather, bound in wire. Alike to this was Sasuke's _Chidori_, save only slightly lesser in length, and adorned in midnight blue rather than forest green. Looped to his saddle was Naruto's legendary _Rasengan_, the powerful mace handed down to him by his father. This was in adornment nearer a scepter than a weapon of war, with eight flanges affixed about its head, their waved edges fitted in a polished metal the color of pale gold, the remainder so etched with cursive and sapphire letters as to seem forged of the blue gem itself. Its hilt was bound by wire of the same nature as edged the flanges, and its pommel twisted into the likeness of a four-horned crown born up by the sea. Upon Sakura's own saddle was a great polehammer, in the likeness of the Lady Tsunade's, just as Sasuke's _Chidori_ mirrored his Master's famed spear. The _Okasho_ was less highly ornamented than the weapons of the other knights, deriving its splendor more from the terror of its great body than the awe of any attempted grace. Upon a shaft of dark cherry four feet in length, the mighty head - twice the size which could be wielded by a normal man, such was the strength of the lady knight - was affixed by six pins, and like the others it too was etched with symbols of holiness and power. Each also had fitted themselves with the sword of their chivalry. Inari, instead, carried a simple mace of ashwood and iron, not having yet earned his spurs.

To each traveler Jiraiya passed a small stone flask sealed by a cork. This was the legendary Oil of Mount Myoboku, by which man or beast might, by mere anointment alone, accomplish the art of sages, and draw strength from the very earth. Each accepted the gift with grace and thanks, and, inverting it once to wet the cork, unsealed it and lightly dabbed the potion upon the legs of their mounts, careful not to partake of the gift themselves. Only the common mounts and pack horse were thus strengthened, the warhorses being those especially blessed with the strength and knowledge of the Holy Spirit, such that they might bear their riders in times of duress such as those they now faced. Yet the party had chosen not to rely upon this blessed strength, and rode forth on the common mounts, believing it wiser to save their steeds as best they could for the coming conflict. Such foresight would serve them well.

Sealing the precious vials of potion then, the riders leapt into their saddles, ready to be off, save Naruto, with whom Jiraiya had lingered. Holding the young man by the shoulders, the sage locked their eyes, his own swirling with pride and worry. The gold-haired knight, rather, seemed to breath only confidence, and that sureness of purpose which has ever been the seed of legend.

"I will not ask that you walk in safety," Jiraiya said solemnly, "for that is not the destiny of men such as us, nor even our desire. Rather, walk in the light and protection of the Silver Sun, and of your own heart."

Naruto clasped his mentor and lord by the arm. "And you, Old Man, had best not do the same," he said, an impish smile dancing at the corners of his lips. "Slighted ladies ever find your heart a poor target. And I will not fall before I am Grand Master, faith!" With that he swung into the saddle, and with his fellow travelers saluted the elder paladin before turning their horses, and with a flurry of hooves they left the stable yard of Myoboku behind.

* * *

They did not break from their pace, a steady canter that devoured distance, even as the morning sun speared its rays through the tall trees and rushes of the marsh. They had pursued as best the could a Westerly course, though were limited in all endeavors by the direction of the road, the only means by which to guide a horse through the fens of Myoboku. Naruto, being familiar with the paths and ways of his home, nonetheless ground through clenched jaw cries of dismay at each turn which forced them from the straight and true. At last, after pushing their horses for many hours, they stopped for rest and water at a hospice that sat upon a crossroads.

The blue-eyed knight was last to dismount, sitting in the saddle with his gaze cast longingly and impatiently Westward. The ground had grown more solid as they had traveled, and the swamps had receded to low scrub-brush and tall grasses, which even now waved in a wind that brought a welcome chill to the belabored party. As they traveled, the open lands would give way, first to more cluttered forest, and then to wide and shadowed glades, formed by ancient trees of exceeding vastness. Naruto had not permitted time for the company to assign themselves a proper route, and resolved to address that matter before nightfall.

The knight by whom the hospice was ordinarily tended proved absent, likely upon some errand of chivalry, and Inari therefore took it upon himself to fetch water for the trough, which he was obliged to refill thrice before the horses were sated. Despite the impatience of the youngest knight, the party had made exceptional time, passing other such stations on their way, by virtue of the sacred oil and holy magics that fortified them.

Naruto paced as he waited for their mounts to replenish themselves upon the water and grasses, too frustrated by emotion to make any plan at the moment. Sasuke watched the other knight, recalling now the inhuman stamina endowed to his close friend, brought forth in such limitless measure as to shame even the mighty among their Order. The young man before him had slept the span of an hour (and this Sasuke reckoned over-graciously), the only reprieve from a long day upon the field with his lord, followed by a feast, a council, and finally a hard ride of half a night. The raven knight himself, though his journey to the sacred mountain had not been overly wearisome, had felt the temptations of slumber close about him after so long without it, and now drew upon the strength of his spirit for sustenance. Though his own reserves of power were counted worthy of praise by his fellows, even the raven could not muster within himself a match to Naruto's sheer endurance, and he began to worry for the lesser strengths of Sakura and little Inari. Therefore he approached his friend quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder to halt the impatient motion.

"Brother," he said softly, and the gold-haired knight paused and turned to him. Blue eyes were dark, and in their depths swirled the touch of desperation and subtle melancholy, at odds with the confidence and surety that had shone from them in the yard of Myoboku. This Sasuke saw in the barest of moments, for, in the next, the face of his friend was once more bright and careless. Unease stirred within the raven knight, for it had been long since Naruto had hidden his heart from him beneath such a mask, and longer still since the raven had found himself unable to look beyond it, such was the bond they shared. At once he fell into his own habit, his hand dropping back to his side, and his countenance adopting an image of detachment and only the mildest curiosity, his own mask, which he had worn since the tragedy of his childhood. "We are not all the sons of gods, Namikaze," he said coolly. "Curb your impatience for a time and look to your friends."

At this the two knights turned to their fellow travelers, and the plight of the young squire, especially, seemed to stir Naruto from his fixation upon the distant Gaara. Inari had sat himself upon a bench against the outer wall of the empty hospice, and upon which rested also Sakura and Kakashi, though they less wearily than he. The young boy, though tall and strong for his age, had not the full training and powers of a knight, and so their travel had taxed him already near to his limit. His heart and mind were at odds over this, the one compelling him to join his master upon the quest which they now endeavored, the other remonstrating, with all the authority of the limitations imposed by youth, against that very path, citing the boy burdensome, meritless, and other belittling qualities.

Naruto, as if witnessing, by some unknowable talent, the struggle within the boy, approached him quickly, but rather than the sobriety with which Sasuke thought it best to address the matter, cuffed the squire lightly upon the head and grinned at him. "Up!" he said loudly, and Inari rose at once, surprise chased out by joy and pride at the address of his mentor and Master, who looked down on him fondly, even as the young body compelled, by groaning protest, a return to its seat. "Walk with me," the knight commanded, and his squire followed dutifully, though his muscles shook from his exertions. The other knights observed this unusual exchange in silence, before turning to each other with signs of bemusement and curiosity. Naruto led his squire some distance apart, and, still not permitting the boy to sit, engaged him in conversation, though to the experienced knights it seemed (rightly) more an assessment of readiness to some task for which the boy was intended. Each of the three offered him a silent prayer of sympathy, knowing the predilections of his Master, and guessing he would not be granted the chance of a well-deserved rest, before they turned their thoughts once more to their own recuperation.

At length the two returned to the party, Inari bearing, in stance and countenance, the image of one who is at once elated and terrified by the same happening, and Naruto grinning broadly at his fellows. "Inari has decided to speak the morning blessings for us," he said at once, "his inexperience, faith, not offending any of us devout members of the Church?"

The others were in that moment awash with relief, both for the boy and for themselves, at the mention of the morning sacraments. It was not taken by any save the most devout of their Order that a knight should set aside times of piety every morning or evening, and the paladin Kakashi, whom none would allocate any great measure of piety, had not passed to his pupils any inclination towards such a religious treatment of their faith. Yet even such knights as were assembled there would not deny the fortifying grace of meditative scripture, long held a boon to any holy knight upon whom the weariness of toil weighed heavy, and indeed, after long centuries, proving more than a simple spiritual balm for the labors of that questing Order. A strong priest or knight, or one supported by strong fellows, might share the strength of others amongst themselves, a skill of surpassing worth when accompanied by such men as Naruto Namikaze. That such sermons were traditionally reserved to knights and priests, the convention after which Naruto had asked, was easily overlooked by the group.

The four knights and single squire arranged themselves and knelt in a circle, their arms on their knees, and their heads bowed in supplication. Inari had retrieved from his saddle pack a worn book of scripture, which he now held open to the desired page, though this was more a matter of comfort and security than of any great reliance upon the small tome.

"Heavenly Lord and Father," he began, "in the name of Your Prophet do we come to You, that we may do Your Will by our hands and our hearts. We ask that You look upon us now with Your favor, we, but Your humble instruments, that we may better act in accordance with Your Word."

His voice was low and clear, in that steady and solemn cadence which seems so inseparable from such things, and at once grew heavy with meaning and power. The first recitations were of submission, the subservience of the knights to their Prophet, and to God and His Purpose, and the binding of themselves to ideals of virtue and enlightenment. This then was followed by the body of the sacrament, in which were recited psalms and parables of unending strength and certitude in the face of overwhelming toil and temptation - prayers for such blessings upon themselves against the weariness of their journey. Here, also, Inari recited tales of brotherhood, unity, and camaraderie, binding the company not merely to their higher Purpose, but to each the one with the others. At the closing, he followed the tradition of his Master, saying praises and glorifying the Purpose of God, which the others found on the whole more inspiring than the condemnation of heathens, which was the convention of most Churchmen.

Though meditative recitations accomplished a subtle work by their own power, rousing the faithful through the miracle of their inspiration, nonetheless many knights endeavored to empower such rituals according to their own blessed strength, weaving their holy spirits in concert with the message of the scripture to accomplish more practical miracles. This all of the company had done, though Inari more clumsily than the others, a plight excused by his inexperience, and which the others easily accounted for. Therefore when they rose they found themselves renewed as if by a full night's rest, much to the astonishment of the squire, though less so amongst the others, familiar as they were with the inner fire that burned within their youngest knight. Yet only the paladin Kakashi guessed rightly, that his former pupil had fortified himself through the art of the sage, and being bound to the others, so passed that strength on to them.

"You spoke well, Inari," Sakura assured him with a fond touch, and the boy flushed at the praise, no less for the words than for the one who offered them. But he did not suppose that she might be patronizing, for he _had_spoken well, though not entirely from memory, as some others could, and the accomplishment worked to allay his self-doubt. This had been Naruto's intention, though he had endeavored also to fortify his lagging companions in the same stroke. The others offered Inari their praise as well, each in their own fashion, and Naruto ruffled the boy's dark hair as he grinned.

"You speak a better sermon than my own Masters ever have!" he said, voicing his pride and encouragements in a volume perhaps overreaching that which was strictly warranted by the occasion. "The Old Witch could not do better herself, faith!" By this he referred to the Lady Tsunade, Grand Master in the Kingdom of Fire.

Sasuke alone offered the squire a small criticism which, though lightly broached, earned him a sharp strike to the shoulder from the indignant Naruto. This was in turn rewarded with a painful flick to the blonde's ear by the amused Sakura.

"Speak with thy tongue, not with thy hand, Brother," she admonished, skillfully overlooking her own hypocrisy on this occasion.

"Yes, _Brother_," Sasuke joined, flicking the other ear with each emphasis, "thy _tongue_, not thy _hand_."

Naruto raised his arms to his head to ward himself against the combined assault, for even as he would turn to defend from one, the other would slip behind him to continue the harassment. "Hatake!" the besieged knight complained, "a vassal should defend his lord!"

The paladin afforded a glance from the small book he had received from Jiraiya, lowering it with a sigh and saying mournfully, "Yes, Lord Namikaze." He waved away the assailants, who betrayed not the least measure of contrition, before returning to his amusements as his lord muttered a half-hearted thanks and lowered his hands. Kakashi flicked the man absently.

"Faith!" the knight cried, leaping away and rubbing at the offended target. "I am among devils disguised as friends! At least I know my squire is still true to me." He retreated to Inari, who only grinned, and flicked the man himself.

* * *

They rested only once more before Naruto relented to a final halt, the sun an hour past set and the moonlight shrouded by a gathering storm. As the train approached the hospice, its windows offering a welcome glow to weary mount and rider alike, the attendant knight emerged upon hearing the sound of the horses, and strained in the poor illumination to make out their identity. This failing, he relented to shout the accustomed greeting of his office.

"Hail, travelers! If thou cometh in weariness and peace, this humble knight offers thee aid and shelter in this meager hospice, in service to the Holy Order of the Silver Sun."

Upon hearing this voice Sakura and Naruto as one gave a cry of recognition and delight, and urging their mounts forward rushed to greet the attendant eagerly. Sakura was first to approach, and, dismounting carelessly, moved to embrace the man, even as Naruto followed.

"Lee!" she exclaimed, and the knight, caught in his astonishment for a moment, quickly returned the greeting.

"Beautiful Sakura," Lee said, kissing the corner of her mouth affectionately as they drew away, his round eyes wide with the shock of her arrival, welcome though it was. "And Naruto!" he turned to the other knight, and the two also embraced before holding themselves apart, to more properly judge the effects time had wrought on each.

Lee was still near to a half head taller than the golden-haired knight, though hardly broader. His black hair, as ever, was cut simply in the manner of Churchmen, and his brows were still so large as to nearly eclipse all of his other features, save his wide and very round eyes. These, as ever, shone with the light of his inner fire, and seemed always ready to burst into bouts of powerful emotion, the expression of which being the source of his fame and, among certain circles, infamy. Beneath the long grey robes of his office he wore the same close-fitted, forest green cottons that marked him a disciple of the legendary paladin, Lord Maito Gai. Taken in all, Naruto was compelled to observe his friend had changed hardly a whit, save in proportions of the body, and even in that his face was the same as it ever was.

This he mentioned to the attendant knight, who laughed.

"I will take that as high praise!" he said. "And you, young Naruto, the years have been kind to you as well, or I am blind," he noted with admiration. "We must test our limits against each other upon the field, before we part." At this Naruto seemed to falter, though Lee was distracted from the sudden change in his friend by the arrival of the remainder of their train. "And, by youth, there sit Lords Uchiha and Hatake! And who is this with you? Not little Inari, bane of all noble Masters throughout the kingdoms?"

The squire for a moment succeeded in casting off his surpassing weariness as he matched the knight's wide grin. "Master Lee! Do the fires of my youth burn too hotly for you?"

"Never!" Lee declared at once. The senior knight held strongly to the teachings of his own Master, which placed virtue in all youthful endeavors, even happy rebellion. Therefore the mischief Inari had inflicted upon his once-Master had ever been taken lightly by the knight, and Lee had quickly become one of the squire's favorite mentors.

The hospitalier greeted Sasuke and Kakashi more properly when they had dismounted, clasping the Uchiha's arm in a fierce hold, each nodding in silent respect to the other, and finally saluting the paladin in the manner of knights, which the masked man waved down.

"By your state and that of the horses, I would wager you had ridden a hundred miles!" Lee noted, gazing on them more closely.

"Wager twice again that sum, and you would hit truer the mark," Sasuke said to him, and the other night looked upon them all once more in astonishment.

"By youth, what miracle-" He shook himself, by which he seemed to recall the orders of his office. "Forgive me, you have expressed all the more reason that I should attend to my station. Enter the hospice and place yourselves at ease. I will look to your horses and, if you desire, what nourishments can be prepared at this hour." The party thanked him, and hardly had they come within the simple shelter then the weight of their journey seemed to crash upon them all, and they collapsed across the chamber each in their own manner.

Each hospice maintained by the Order followed a certain pattern in its construction and furnishings, which was thus: the door opened into a single room, a little over twenty feet square, which was furnished by rude wooden stools along the walls, a few chairs, a small table, and a couch, though having more in common with a bench, which seemed to have been made by hammering three chairs together and throwing over them a covering of sheepskin. Set within the left wall was what passed as an admirable kitchen in that day, a goodly-sized fireplace, which was shared by a spit, a grill, and a large black pot. Over this was a large shelf to hold the crockery, knives, and spoons, and in the near left corner of the room was a tall cupboard which served as pantry. In the far left corner was a downward flight of stairs, which ended in a door to a small cellar in which to store foodstuffs of a more delicate nature. The only other door stood in the far right corner, and led to the meager cell of the attending knight, which offered him privacy from the company of his guests and some measure of security for his possessions, most chiefly his armor and weaponry. From the walls hung clean and soft sheepskins that served as bedding, which, when needed, would simply be spread across the floor of the single room. While certainly humble, the hospices were well and sturdily built, the walls being thick and made of mortared brick, which was coated in white plaster. The floorboards were so old as to have been fully polished by former guests, and the roof was tall, sloped, and tiled, and there were no leaks or cracks by which to admit a draft, which was considered a very fine thing indeed by travelers of all classes. Though never to be mistaken for a well-appointed inn, the way-stations of the Holy Knights were, even so, much preferable to an evening spent upon hard earth beneath an often fickle sky.

Being well acquainted with the lay of things already, the knights and squire did not waste time looking about as they were struck with the weariness of their journey, moving instead to make themselves comfortable with as much haste and as little effort as could be managed. Sakura and Sasuke maintained sufficient dignity to fall together upon the sheepskin bench, while Kakashi took for himself a high-backed chair in which to stretch, and Inari sank upon a low stool, falling at once asleep upon the arm of the couch. Naruto lay sprawled upon the wooden floor, not even very much inclined to exert himself in the retrieval of proper bedding (though it likely would not have made him noticeably more comfortable, due to the presence of his chainmail). Such fatigue could be forgiven of the nearly tireless knight, for he had that day sustained the strength of four others, and this without the full rest warranted by the exertions of the day which had preceded.

Yet when Lee returned in short order (having merely led the horses to the small adjacent stable and unbridled them), all five travelers managed to stir themselves for the hope of a much-desired break to their fast, it being, after all, a trying task to eat upon the back of a cantering horse. The grey-clad knight at once removed from the cupboard pantry two loaves of dark bread and a wheel of soft cheese, which he laid out upon the small table to abate the immediate hunger of his guests, and then proceeded to coax the dying coals of the fire into something more suitable to the preparation of a meal. This was quickly done, and soon enough he had cobbled together a thick stew of barley, potato, carrot, mushroom, and generous servings of salted pork, which he left to simmer while he returned to the horses.

"Faith," Naruto groaned, bemoaning the scent of the rich stew that drifted from the fire, setting his mouth to watering as his stomach growled its own complaint. He took but small pleasure in seeing that the others shared his misery. Already they had devoured the bread and cheese, and the gold-haired knight was tempted sorely to help himself to the cupboard pantry, even knowing his appetite could not be sated by anything he might find there. Impatient, as was his wont, he paced to the fire to hover over the large pot, stirring its contents slowly with a long spoon, though Lee had set it aside so there was no danger of burning.

"Sit down, Dunce," Sasuke demanded as the younger knight leaned ever further over the simmering stew, his mood fouled by his own hunger. "If you get any closer to that pot, I'll have you join it over the fire!"

Naruto leapt back, unsure if his friend was irritable enough to do as he promised, even despite his weariness. It would not have been the first time Sasuke made good on such a threat, and the blonde would rather not risk the chance in his current state.

Lee returned once more, immediately setting about doing what he could to hasten the preparation of the meal. Sakura, in a valiant attempt to distract herself and her companions from their plight, asked the eccentric knight how he had come to be a hospitalier, having last taken a post as a Master of the University.

The older knight flushed as he answered. "It is my penance, truthfully," he admitted, though with the abashed smile of one who is not especially penitent.

"What could you have done that requires penance, faith?" Naruto demanded, voicing the same question the others had thought, astonished that a knight so strict with himself could have breached a Sacred Tenet.

"I..." Lee did not meet their eyes as he spoke, seeming to select his words with careful consideration. "I suffered certain...indiscretions...under the influence of strong drink." His audience blanched at this. Strong drink was not forbidden to knights, except in excess, but they had heard terrible tales concerning the temperament of their host, upon the unfortunate occasions in which he imbibed even a swallow of heady spirits.

Suddenly Naruto laughed. "Faith, how did you manage that?" he asked. Lee himself, and all the knights who knew him, were ever on guard against such a calamity, and would not have permitted the young man within a sword's length of an ale cup.

"A knight from the Kingdom of Water prepared a strange dish of melted cheeses," Lee explained, still somewhat embarrassed, "to which he had, according to the proper recipe, added spirits. Not knowing my weakness, he failed to mention the matter until...after."

The others shuddered, but Naruto, his hunger forgotten, could only continue to laugh.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Hello again. Another week, another chapter (barely). I realize this is probably not the best place to break it off, and I certainly had hoped to push the story a little further (a lot further, actually), but it was either this or a late update. Though this is a good deal longer than my last two... You can leave a review about your preferences in that regard. That out of the way, some pertinent notes:_

_(1) I elected to use the Japanese names for the characters' weapons because of how closely the names are tied to the image and conception of each character. Also, _Raikiri _and _Chidori _sound far less romantic in their English translations._

_(2) A 'target' is an archaic name for a type of shield. Therefore, when Naruto teases Jiraiya, he means that (a) the sage has poor luck with romance, (b) slighted woman tend to hit the sage's face rather than his chest, and (c) his excuses, flattery, and natural inclinations are a poor 'shield' against a woman's wrath. Sorry if the explanation killed the joke._

_(3) I decided in this chapter that Naruto should have a verbal tick, like the original. For now, it is 'Faith', until someone can convince me to use something else. Lee, as you can see, also has his tick, though I think, so far, it is much less obnoxious than in the anime. Your approval or disapproval on this matter would interest me. _Edit: I've gone back and edited in Naruto's 'faith' to Chapters 1 and 2, along with some other minor stylistic alterations.

_(4) Sakura is the first to call hospice attendants 'hospitaliers'. This does not mean there is a specific Knightly Order of that name, despite the historical connotation; it is simply the name of that particular office within the Five Orders of the Silver Sun, assigned to knights who tend hospices._

_(5) I can't cook. If you have a better idea of what should be going on around that fire, please describe it to me._


	4. Chapter 4

_Warning: Some readers may find descriptions of severe injury to be graphic._

**Chapter 4**

* * *

The stew proved to be most excellent, though Lee, in his modesty, assured them that hunger was the best spice. It was deemed most fortunate that they had discovered a host to whom they were familiar, and most particularly their appetites, for Naruto and Inari each devoured three considerable helpings, and there would not have been enough for the rest of the company had Lee not reckoned for it. But though there was not a drop left standing in the black pot by the fire, all had had their fill, and seemed now more determined than ever to fall to sleep. After all, just as hunger is the best spice, there is no more powerful sleeping potion than a long day of labor, followed by a warm meal, a warm fire, and the company of warm friends. Inari did not long resist the call of his bed, with Naruto following him shortly thereafter, and Sakura politely excusing herself for the same. Sasuke withstood the heaviness of his eyes long enough to tell the hospitalier of their mission, before dozing off upon the sheepskin couch, leaving the paladin and attendant knight to speak alone.

"So that is the nature of your quest," Lee said, considering Sasuke's words. "The rescue of a Brother in Arms from vile magicians of unknown purposes."

"You spin it as a very heroic endeavor," Kakashi noted. "Perhaps you will compose it into song upon our return?"

"Why upon your return? I may compose as we travel. Such thoughts are a worthy distraction from the long miles between here and the Court of Sands." At the masked man's questioning eye, the knight smiled widely. "Did you think a disciple of Lord Gai would turn down the opportunity to join in such a cause? Of course I mean to follow you!"

"What of your penance?"

Lee seemed somewhat dismayed by this argument, but was not unprepared for it. "Other errant knights pass this hospice each day. I shall take the branch from the door, so they will know to attend here in my absence. It will be necessary, I think, to serve additional penance, having failed to complete the terms of this one, but, by youth, a knight who shirks the call of chivalry for the demands of penance is no knight!"

The silver-haired paladin considered the disciple of his old friend. Though Kakashi and Gai shared little in mannerism, they were men after the same heart, raised in times of turmoil and upheaval, and under the brilliant light of Grand Master Minato Namikaze. A Holy Knight was at times torn between his oath to uphold the laws of the Church and his king, and his oath to oppose evil at every call. Those who followed the late Lord Namikaze were most often inclined to place the latter above the former, much to the frustrations of the clergy, who were obliged to assign penance for each violation of Church law, whether or no they believed it wholly justified. Naturally, the most regular cause for penance for such knights, was a breach of penance.

Yet Kakashi was hesitant to accept the aid of the younger knight, for despite the welcome strength and companionship of Lee, the company was in haste, and only by the miracle of the Myoboku Oil could they hope to reach the object of their quest in time to be of aid. He said as much to the man.

"Ah, so that was the nature of your miracle!" Lee said. "I had not thought it possible, save for the Grand Master of the Order of Lightning, to whom the sky is a road. Yet surely you have enough to spare? The Lord Jiraiya is no miser of his potions."

"True enough," Kakashi assented. "But the sacred oil sustains only our mounts, and we are forced to draw upon Naruto's legendary spirit. Would you place the burden of another rider upon him?"

The knight smiled as his eyes shone with pride and determination. "Fear not of that. Surrendering humility for the sake of the argument, I am the strongest of Lord Gai's disciples! I will not burden young Naruto with weakness, by youth!"

The paladin fixed a keen eye upon him, taking the measure of the exuberant man, and after a moment's time nodded sharply his assent. Lee's smile widened, and, suddenly stirred by the prospect of heroic adventure, excused himself to prepare and rest for the morning journey. The silver-haired knight waved him away, sitting for a moment in quiet contemplation, before joining his former pupils in sleep.

* * *

Sasuke awoke some hours before morning, his senses alerted, even through his dreams, to some call he could not name with certainty. The hospice was dark, the fire having been allowed to burn to embers, and the only light now shone from a small lamp that hung in the window, but it sufficed for him to recognize the shape of Naruto sitting in meditation against the thick wooden door. He rose softly from where he had lain upon the couch, concern for the younger knight growing in him as he toed his way across the chamber. The gold-haired young man had hardly slept the night before their journey, and, though meditation might sustain a knight in its own way, it was no substitute for proper sleep. Kneeling before his friend, Sasuke placed a hand upon the other's shoulder, and when the knight did not at once stir, whispered, "Naruto."

Naruto's eyes opened slowly, and he seemed at first not to recall his surroundings, glancing across Sasuke's features before his eyes cleared with recognition. "Sasuke," he said softly. "You should be asleep. Is something wrong, faith?"

"I might say the same to you," the raven whispered. "Have you come upon some secret of meditation, that it is now more wholesome to you than sleep?"

Naruto sighed. "I would not call it more wholesome. Rather, sleep has become less, faith."

"The demon," Sasuke guessed, and Naruto nodded wearily, as if weighed more heavily by the cause if his restlessness than by the lack of sleep itself.

"Should I fall more deeply than into a doze, faith, it may stir itself to cause mischief in my dreams. And so I have taken to meditations as my only recourse."

Sasuke looked down in thought, tightening his hold upon his friend's shoulder in a silent sign of understanding and compassion, before raising his head again to meet his eyes. "Lay your head in my lap, Brother, and I will keep the demon at bay as your rest."

Naruto at once refused. "You need rest more than I, Sasuke. I have the arts of the sage to sustain me."

"The strength of the earth is not your own strength, Naruto," the other argued. "How long since you have had sufficient spirit to draw upon yourself?"

Blue eyes were uneasy at this, and when Sasuke moved to lay Naruto's head in his lap, he met with no resistance. Slowly he stroked the golden head, even as he dipped within himself to draw forth the power to overcome the creature that tormented his friend. A whisper from the young knight brought the hint of a smile to the raven's lips.

"Thank you, Sasuke..."

* * *

**"You overreach yourself, child. Do you believe you might truly contend with our will, and not suffer your own to be cast into the void? We are of the Pillar and the Maelstrom, the God and the Beast. We are Lord of Plots, Exarch of Dominion. We are the Invocation of Command, Guardian of Power, King. Witness the number of our authority, and it is Nine."**

Black eyes opened wide, for the suddenness of the trance that had seized upon the raven knight left him for a moment unguarded and disadvantaged against the oppressive spirit of the demon fox. In that instant, all that filled his vision were the crimson eyes, cruel, slitted, and enthralling, filled with an arrogance and authority that compelled subservience from the mightiest of emperors. In that instant, his breath and heart were frozen in awe and terror, and Sasuke was stripped of courage, pride, and hatred, until all that remained was a vessel to the will of the Demon Lord, and Sasuke Uchiha was lost. Yet in the next he had returned to himself, and he now beheld the Gate of Souls which rose into darkness to bar the beast from the world, and he believed, for the length of the thought, that he had resisted.

The fox laughed, curling its tails about itself and gazing upon the knight with that idle curiosity, reserved for those who have spared an insect on a whim, deciding it's life to be more compelling than its death. **"No, you are not safe, child," **the demon said. **"Not here. Not as you are. The hatred in your blood once devoured us, but that was long ago, and you have not nurtured it as others have."**

"Silence, beast," Sasuke demanded, resolute even against the overwhelming force that threatened to cast him aside. The mouth of the demon twitched, and by the gift of insight which defined his lineage, the knight knew it to be a symptom at once of irritation and amusement. The raven did not permit himself to imagine that he might resist the will of the creature, should it be bent upon him a second time, even were he to steel himself with all his strength against it. Yet he was a knight, an Uchiha, and the sworn brother of Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, his dearest friend, and no matter the power arrayed against him, he would resist for the sake of that bond. "I am not here to deal and barter with you, nor listen to your arrogant tongue tempt me with knowledge," he declared.

**"It is so," **the demon agreed. **"You sought to overwhelm us, thinking you possessed some power over us through the curse of your lineage, recalling, no doubt, our withdrawal from the latest contest. We have cured you of your delusion."**

"Why, then, did you withdraw?" the knight asked, his brilliant mind now consumed by curiosity, though his voice remained prideful and demanding. An awareness of his greater surroundings slowly dawned upon him, and he realized he stood now in the darkest and most sinister reaches of his Brother's soul. He was beset with dismay for the illusion he had suffered under, that Naruto was an unshadowed beacon of purity and light, and also that he himself had not seen to the depths of the truth, even as compassion and pity warred in him with violent indignation, that such a man as Naruto should be afflicted by these torments. Yet his voice betrayed none of this.

It was not necessary that it did, for within this dark prison the will of the demon held dominion, and the knight's heart was laid bare. The beast ignored his question, looking first with mild interest down upon him, then upon the haunted crypt about them, and then once more upon him. **"You think harshly of us, child," **it said, **"though rumor and superstition are your only argument, and were your thoughts of such material as to require pardon, it would be granted by reason of your ignorance. But immaterial as your judgments are, we do not concern ourself with them, any more than you concern yourself with the judgments of flies and worms. But we shall tell you, for it delights us to witness your dismay, that the corruption of the child is not by our workings, but those of your own kind." **The demon laughed harshly, and the sound of it set the shadows astir. **"Never underestimate the darkness of a mortal's heart, which, like a plague, inflicts itself upon all it touches."**

"I will not believe your are blameless in Naruto's torment," Sasuke said. "Have you not afflicted his dreams so viciously the he must draw upon the very earth for sustenance?"

**"It is so," **the beast said carelessly, allowing itself a yawn of disinterest as it stretched itself languidly across the floor of its cell. **"And now that you have failed to oust us by force, how do you intend to proceed? We are not uncharitable, and will bargain for the child's peace, if you are inclined to amend your obstinacy."**

"The bargains of demons ever turn to the worse for those who make them," Sasuke argued, though a small part of him clung to the offer, despite his resolution.

**"Again you think harshly of us," **the fox answered, **"though in this you will find yourself once more mistaken. All those who have dealt with us have ever been grateful, and found our price to be well aligned with the value of our aid. Indeed, were it not for the fear of our wrath, we might even be mocked as charitable by our lesser kin."**

"Why?" the knight demanded. "Why offer aid to those who oppose you?"

**"There are many forces at work in this world, child, not merely Good and Evil. Indeed, it might astonish you to know that, in the arrangement of certain conflicts, we are together with you aligned in purpose and endeavor." **The demon paused, as if to consider the character of the man before it, and determine its words accordingly. **"We will offer you a most charitable bargain," **it said then. **"In exchange for the peace of the child, you will return to us each hour of midnight. Our engagements with the child have grown rote and dull, and so you shall suffice to entertain us in his stead."**

Sasuke sneered at the beast, and its eyes flashed with amusement as it observed his resistance, knowing the knight had already agreed to the bargain. "What manner of entertainment might I offer a demon?" he asked, his voice sour.

The demon grinned cruelly, then laughed. **"That is not a matter for your consideration. Accept the terms, child, as we know you will, and we will release you from this meditation."**

The raven was silent, then ground through gritted teeth his assent, and the laughter of the demon rang in his ears even as he found himself suddenly returned to awareness, a hand resting upon the golden head in his lap.

* * *

Naruto awoke an hour before dawn, and, eager to continue the journey without delay, wasted no time in rousing the others with an exuberance most unwholesome to the early morning. Sakura, being the least appreciative from among the assembly, smacked him soundly across the face when he shook her awake. This, though generally accepted to be a suitable preventative against Naruto's more inelegant tendencies, did not seem to greatly deter the young knight in his efforts to be underway. Not willing to sacrifice the time necessary to rekindle the fire, they downed a simple, though not at all dissatisfying breakfast of brown bread and raspberry jelly, and departed the hospice in the gray, pale light of a sun only just beginning to emerge from the shadow of the horizon. Naruto had only seemed to gain more energy when he had discovered that Lee would be joining them, and the lady knight was torn between her own happiness for the occasion and the irritability inspired by the unceasing clamor that now issued from the golden-haired young man.

Yet she was not so irritable as to fail to observe, with a silent relief, that her friend seemed that morning more himself than he had upon their reunion and the previous day. His eyes were brighter, his movements surer, and he smiled more easily and more naturally than before. Naruto might at some times be flighty, and at others, single-minded, but she had rarely seen him in a state of absent disconnection, his eyes glazed and his face expressionless, as if he had been stripped of will and spirit and was left empty. The times when he suffered such moments distressed her greatly, and it was no small comfort to see him return to his usual mannerisms.

She likewise did not fail to observe the subtle glances he cast at Sasuke, which, though indecipherable, were clearly meaningful. This knowledge she neatly stored away for future consideration, deeming it a suitably appealing mystery to pursue in the future, and wondering if any others had witnessed the stolen looks. Sasuke, at least, was aware of them, the hint of a smile dancing across his lips each time blue eyes met black. It was then that the lady knight began to feel terribly left out.

Naruto pressed them as hard that day as he had before, though it seemed his resurgent mannerisms also heralded his resurgent strength, and the party found themselves far less exhausted by the long hours when they at last halted some time after midday. The hospice where they rested was not attended at the time, though a branch above the door signified the guardianship of a knight, for it was not an uncommon practice among hospitaliers to travel forth as temporary stewards of the nearby lands which surrounded their shelters. Therefore the party did not pay it any mind, until, preparing to set off once again, the paladin Kakashi paused by his horse and raised his head, as if to scent the wind like a hound.

"Naruto," he said to the knight, his voice light, as if speaking of niceties and nonsense, "what do you make of the air hereabouts?"

The young knight looked at his former Master curiously, then also lifted his head to pull a deep breath, searching for a trace of some thing he was not yet sure existed. But the paladin would not have spoken without purpose, and so the blue-eyed knight obliged him with only the slightest of hesitation. At once he frowned, catching the scent of smoke, and was suddenly torn between a desire to investigate and a desire to press forward on their quest. "I smell smoke," he admitted, "but doubt it is more than a woodsman's fire or village kiln. We should-"

He was silenced by the sounds of quick movement from the underbrush, and the party reached for their weapons in preparation for whatever it was that approached, alert despite Naruto's casual dismissal. Yet they calmed when the body of a small boy tumbled from the bushes and weeds, and would have soon laughed at their worry had they not quickly realized the state of the boy. His feet and arms were bloodied and his breath came in shallow gasps from his desperate sprint through the forest, and his face and body were splattered with fresh gore, which stank. Seeing the assembly of knights, the boy collapsed, his small limbs trembling under the combined force of relief and exertion.

Lee was at once at his side, the disciples of Lord Gai being especially reverent and protective of children, and in the span of a moment he was joined by Sakura, the lady knight running a gentle hand across sweaty and blood-smeared skin, looking for any injury beyond the apparent. The boy began to stutter unintelligibly.

"Hush, child," Sakura said soothingly, laying a hand upon his brow as Lee held him in strong and comforting arms. A pale light twined about her fingers, and the boy seemed to calm at her touch. "Water," she demanded firmly, and it was Sasuke who dismounted quickly and offered his own skin, which the boy at first struggled against, being humble before the generosity of a knight, until at Sakura's urging he accepting it gratefully. When he had downed a few mouthfuls he struggled to speak again.

"F-Forgive me," he said. "O-Our village is - is under attack. L-Lord Osake needs help! Please! W-We need help!"

"And you shall have it!" Lee said at once, then seemed to recall his place within the company and turned expectantly to Naruto, though what he saw in the knight's eyes dismayed him. Emotion warred across his friend's face, torn between his inherent desire to aid another, and the inherent desire to rescue a friend.

"We do not have much time, faith..." Naruto objected weakly. The company looked at him in astonishment, and Inari seemed stricken by his Master's seeming abandonment of the boy and his village. "They are already under the protection of a knight of the Order," he went on, and seemed about to work himself into obstinacy when he was interrupted by a firm voice.

"Naruto."

It was Sasuke who spoke, and his eyes looked upon the younger knight with admonishment and disappointment. "Gaara accepted his death with his knighthood," the raven said. "These are the very people he has pledged his life to protect. Would you profane his oath by placing them beneath him?"

Blue eyes seemed to waver, then grew resolute. With a growl of frustration Naruto kicked his horse forward, leaning from the saddle to pluck the wounded boy from Lee's arms and sitting the peasant before him. "Where's your village, faith?" he demanded quickly, already cantering through the underbrush and away from the others, who had not yet had time to react. The boy seemed too astonished to form an answer at once, and Naruto barked the question again.

"A-Ah! Just along the track, less than a mile, Lord Knight!"

Naruto gave a grunt of acknowledgement, but his mood was already brightening now that the conflict of choice had been resolved for him, and he urged his mount into a gallop as they reached a smoother track, realizing belatedly that it was not his warhorse, but the common steed from Myoboku. He pushed this thought from his mind, and prepared himself for battle. Sasuke had merely forced the path Naruto had truly desired; he would thank the raven knight for it later.

They broke from the forest into a wide pasture, and the knight nearly gagged upon the scent of ash and gore that hung in the air. Before them was a village, numbering perhaps a dozen huts of mud brick and thatch, and burning violently, as screams of terror and suffering rent the air, punctuated by the battle cries of marauding bandits. Naruto felt the boy stiffen, and lifted him from the saddle to place him on the ground, where he stood in silent horror.

"Wait here, faith," Naruto said firmly, before turning to the scene of slaughter and kicking his horse into a charge, raising the _Rasengan _high above his head. At once the knight and his steed burst into blue flame, and Naruto raised his voice so that it thundered across the field with the release of holy power. "_Host of Heaven_!"

Twelve figures sprang from the fire, joining in his charge as he bore down upon the village, each mounted and wielding the powerful weapon of the Namikaze, shrouded in azure fire and raising their own voices towards the clamor of battle.

The bandits that assaulted the hamlet had time only to turn and cry their dismay before the ghostly knights crashed upon them with a terrible violence. They fell one after another beneath the oppressive strikes of the mounted warriors, each blow shattering sword and stave as easily as arm and shoulder. Naruto wheeled about the field, sending men flying with every swing of his legendary weapon, and he had soon routed the assailants. The bandits fled the ring of huts, abandoning what remained of their honor as they dashed to the safety of the forest. Yet again they were suddenly beset, for Sasuke rode out from the shadows of the trees to intercept them, and raising the _Chidori_ to the sky called out in a penetrating voice, "_Divine Judgment, Glory of Storms_!"

At once the sky grew dark, and swirling clouds cascaded across the face of the sun, and with all the violence of nature a thunderbolt struck down before him with a deafening crash. This was followed by another, and another, until all the field about him crackled with arcing light. Some of the outlaws, having abandoned sense as well as honor, made to traverse the fence of lightning, only to be struck at once to the ground. This demonstration of power sufficed to shatter the hopes of those following them, and they gave up their flight to cast themselves down in submission, begging for mercy.

Sasuke and Naruto were soon joined by the remainder of the company, and Sakura at once moved towards the fallen bodies of the villagers as the others rounded up the marauding bandits and set a guard about them.

The lady knight quickly discovered that few of the bodies that lay about the field of battle were those of the villagers, and was about to turn to her companions when a particularly large hut, the fire having weakened its supporting timbers, collapsed inwards with a shuddering _crack_. Had this been the only sound to emerge from the wreckage, Sakura would have not paid it more than a cursory glance, hurrying as she was from one hut to another in search of survivors. Yet there also sounded out a peculiar ring, must unusual for a burning hut, but quite common among the protective barriers raised by priests and holy knights. Whirling upon the rubble then, Sakura espied the golden glow of a magical shield, which held the fire at bay even as it deflected the shattered timbers and glowing embers that caved down upon it, and with a cry of urgency she rushed to lend what aid she could. She was joined by one of Naruto's conjured ghosts, and between them the debris was swiftly cast away and the fire scattered, revealing the frightened faces of the villagers, or at least those who had not been quick enough to vanish into the forest during the attack. In their midst was a mailed knight, kneeling upon the dirt floor of the hut with his hands clasped and head bowed in prayer.

"Sir Knight!" Sakura called to him, taking him to be the hospitalier Osake that the peasant boy had spoken of. The knight raised his head and, seeing the fellow members of his Order, released the magic shield that surrounded his charges with visible relief.

"Lady Haruno," he greeted, his voice weary but grateful. "What miracle has brought you to us in our desperate hour?" He moved to stand, but the cost of his prayers seemed to weigh down on him, and he stumbled once more to his knee.

"The miracle of misfortune, I fear," Sakura told him. "Are there any here in need of healing?" Already she had begun to remove the villagers from the remains of the large hut, searching them quickly for signs of injury as they passed, thankful to find that none had suffered grievous wounds or burns. They would need aid, and quickly, but none were in peril of their life.

"Three," Osake said, "though not all of the peasants were gathered here. Search the other huts!"

Sakura nodded to the ghost of Naruto, who moved at once to obey, while she in turn approached the bodies laid about the hospitalier, a golden light twining about her fingers as she called upon the healing spirit within herself. All three peasants would clearly die without aid, but, looking upon their injuries, Sakura wondered if they would not prefer death. The youngest of them, a boy perhaps a little younger than Inari, had suffered the most horribly: fire had consumed his back, head, and right arm, so that all that remained was a skeletal limb, and the flesh of his face looked as if it had melted like wax. It was a small comfort, perhaps, that he felt no pain from the wounds, but the violence and horror of the injury had left him in a kind of motionless panic, and his heart thudded erratically against his chest. Knowing it was this panic which was his most immediate danger, the lady knight passed her hand before his eyes, and the boy stilled, his eyes growing unfocused and his heart slowing its frenzied pulse.

She turned to the next victim, a woman some few years older than herself, and heavy with child. Sakura forced away the sorrow which rose like a tide within her as she beheld the woman, for her swelling womb had been hacked across its width and deeply torn. There was no chance that her child would survive, or that she might come to bear another. Here, too, the most present danger was the violent panic of her heart, and the blood that ran from her body like a river, and therefore Sakura once more passed a hand before the peasant's eyes, calming her and soothing the pain of the wound, before weaving the light in her hands across the gaping flesh to stem the bloodloss.

The last victim was an elderly man, who seemed to have attempted some resistance against his assailants, and for his trouble had been pierced through the chest by what the knight guessed had been a poorly sharpened sword, for the wound was jagged. Yet even as the lady knight moved to aid him he resisted her, coughing blood in place of words, and gesturing wildly to the boy and woman.

"Peace, old man," Sakura told him, laying a hand upon his arm and meeting his eyes, even as she began to work her magic upon his wound. "They shall not die while I am here."

It was then that the ghost of Naruto returned to her, carrying a small girl, her dirty skin reddened by fire, but suffering no worse burn, though her eyes were closed and she was not breathing. Two more of the ghosts joined them, one carrying a man and woman, the other an infant child.

"Make her breath," Sakura said to the first ghost, then turned to the others, eyes aglow with a faint light as she searched for the spirit in the bodies they had brought. "The woman is dead, Naruto," she told him firmly, freezing her own tears with a cold heart, for sorrow and desperation could not be allowed to cloud her judgment now. "The man is bleeding away; bind up his wounds. Bring me the infant."

She ceased her healing of the old man and raised her arms to accept the bundle of wool cloth. It was hot to the touch, and to her dismay she found that its foot had caught fire, and even now still glowed with dying embers. She checked the spirit of the child, but by some miracle it still clung to life, though its heart struggled to beat, and it was not breathing. As she had with the others, Sakura passed a hand before the child's eyes, and its heart stopped for a moment before starting again, still faint, but now at least steady. Even as Naruto's ghost bent its mouth over the dying girl and whispered holy prayers across her lips, the lady knight did the same, urging clean air into the infant's chest. This she continued to do as she unwrapped the blanket carefully, clenching her jaw when she had nearly finished, for the cloth had melted and fused with the pads of the child's feet.

"Naruto," she said to one of the ghosts, "rush to the hospice and return here with as much clean linen as can be carried, and also the silver bowl." The ghost nodded mutely before dashing away in a trail of blue fire. "Osake," she said to the hospitalier who still knelt nearby, forgoing the use of title, "take this one and ensure it continues to breath. Do not wrap it in the cloth again, and do not touch its feet!" She handed the infant to the other knight, who at once began to murmur the same prayer over it as Sakura had. The lady knight turned once more to the old man on the floor, drawing deeply from her own spirit as she worked to preserve his. In the depth of her thoughts, she forgave Naruto his initial hesitancy to offer aid; they had indeed lost precious time, and would now lose yet more.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_PLEASE! IF ANYONE IS A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL, AND I HAVE MADE A MISTAKE WHILE DESCRIBING INJURIES OR THEIR TREATMENT, INFORM ME SO I CAN CORRECT IT!_

_So, hopefully the descriptions weren't too graphic, or just graphic enough to properly relay how horrible the injuries are (and, actually, I hope they were graphic enough). Was the combat sufficiently described (for a random encounter), or would you all prefer something more detailed? This was actually supposed to just break the monotony of travel with a bit of easy battle, and display how I've interpreted some of Naruto and Sasuke's abilities, but it actually seems to have focused more on Sakura. Good? Bad? On any of those?_

_Have you noticed a change in style? If so, what do you like or dislike about it? Do you agree with how I've portrayed the characters? Is there too little or too much: dialogue, environment description, character description, internal monologue, or exposition? How do you predict the story and characters will develop, or how I'll interpret certain components of the original into this? Very important: am I taking too long to move through the plot of the manga?_

_Thanks for reading, and please review!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Of the forty-three peasants who had called the ruined village home, eight had died, and four were so horribly injured that they would never fully recover. It was nearing nightfall when Sakura emerged from the remains of the hut where she had tended to these four and others, whose injuries, though milder, were yet of sufficient degree to demand the healing touch of the lady knight. She and the hospitalier Osake had performed rituals of blessing upon the water which filled a silver basin, cleansing it and imbuing it with prayers of healing and recovery. This they used to wash the bodies of the injured, and also the linen bandages that now covered the horrible gashes and burns, in order to ward off whatever sickness might take root in the vulnerable flesh. This, Sakura warned the villagers, was the greatest danger for them all, and commanded that all bleeding wounds or oozing sores be bathed in holy water for seven days, and all wrappings be accordingly washed. Osake agreed that the four most grievously injured would remain under his care at the hospice, in order that he observe and ensure their recovery himself.

Yet many villagers had already drawn apart to consider the matter of the captured outlaws, who had been held under the knights' guard as Sakura had worked. The company had not permitted any of the villagers to approach the captives, who were nonetheless treated with hostility and disdain by the holy warriors, the code of chivalry binding only their actions towards such prisoners, and not their manners. Naruto had most eagerly obliged a number of the belligerents with a sharp blow from his steel cudgel, they having attempted to incite the entire unwholesome lot in a bid to escape. Yet the company of knights had not been idle as Sakura aided the wounded, for Kakashi had acquired, over the course of some prodding, with query and spear in equal measure, the identity of the bandit leader, and had amiably set to work interrogating the miserable miscreant.

What he learned disturbed him, as well as the others. The gang of outlaws was notable for its numbers, which was near to twice that of the villagers, a most unusual occurrence. This had been explained by the obstinate leader to be due to a series of misfortunes which had forced the generally independent bandit groups to join together for their own safety, astonishing as that thought was to all those gathered there. When prodded further, the man admitted the source of the danger, which was the principle cause for dismay amongst the company:

Demons and ghouls had been spied along the western borders of the forest, and were seen to be moving eastwards. This was cause for great alarm amongst any class of persons, and after making certain the man was truthful, Kakashi commanded one of Naruto's ghostly riders to make for the hospice and compose a message, to be carried by pigeon to the Holy City and the Court of Leaves, where even now the Grand Master Tsunade endeavored to marshal aid for the kingdoms of Wind and Storm. Though there was little hope now that such aid would be granted, with the borders of their native land under assault, such forces as had already been mustered, despite the wishes of the king, would now prove fortuitous in the kingdom's defense.

It fell then to the paladin to determine the fates of the outlaws, being of the highest office amongst the company in the execution of justice. It was most common in that time to, refusing to relinquish the culprits to the mercies of their victims, simply hang men for banditry, or, being rather ill-supplied with rope in that endeavor, behead them with a single sword-stroke. This Kakashi would not have been greatly opposed to do, but with the consideration of the threat of invasion from malevolent and supernatural sources, and his own considerable skill in magic, an alternative emerged which, though likely displeasing to the villagers as an address to their suffering, was on the whole much more practical. He spoke quietly to Naruto and Sasuke of his plan.

"A fitting irony," Sasuke said with approval. A mischievous and approving glint flashed in Naruto's eyes as well, and the younger knight grinned bitterly.

"Faith! You have always managed to find a recipe for lemons, Master Kakashi," he said, referencing that ancient adage concerning life's more troublesome gifts. Kakashi merely nodded pleasantly by way of reply, before drawing himself up in his saddle and adopting the imposing aura of a Holy Knight.

The paladin turned his horse so that he faced the assembly of captives, his single eye cold and hard as he surveyed them. "Look upon me!" he said solemnly, his voice carrying across the pasture and at once silencing the throng, drawing their eyes and the eyes of the villagers. "Look upon me, and know that I am the one to pronounce your sentence, and execute its justice. I am the Lord Hatake, ruler of those lands, vassal to the Lord Namikaze, Paladin of the Order of Fire, of the Order of the Silver Sun; called the White Wolf of the Five Kingdoms, and Hatake of the Thrice-Cursed Eye. Do any here dispute the right of my office to pass judgment?" When no voices were raised in dissent, he continued. "Hear now this sentence: all who are bound captives, having been caught in act of banditry and murder, are accused and condemn for those crimes. Yet your lives shall not be the ransom imposed upon you by justice, in repayment of those you have this day stolen." At this a great cry of outrage rose from the assembled villagers, but was silenced by a warning glance from Naruto and Sasuke, and Kakashi continued. "Rather, you shall submit yourselves to the perils of war, in the defense of those you have wronged and the kingdom whose laws you have spurned. Look now upon the Thrice-Cursed Eye!"

With those words the paladin tore away the ribbon that bound his left eye, and it opened to reveal an infernal glow, its baleful light shining harshly out upon those before it, and even at the furthest distance those who looked upon it beheld the churning of a black storm in its depths. Many shouted in horror and fear, but the condemned outlaws could not avert their gaze, staring into that swirling pit as if it were the whole of existence.

"A _geas _I place upon you! Travel to the lord of these lands and submit yourselves to his authority, so that he may order you in the defense of the kingdom according to his manner. Abandon this holy order, and your body shall waste to nothingness, and you shall perish of hunger and thirst, even as you gorge yourself upon the spoils of treachery. Rise! And take what arms you have to fight with! Should you fail to place yourselves beneath the banner of the lord within seven days, the curse of the _geas _shall afflict you, even as if you had abandoned its order."

With that, the red eye was shut and bound once more, and the outlaws rose as if from a deep slumber to stumble away, dazed and bemused, though certain in their task and purpose. No onlooker doubted that some would disbelieve the curse, and test its limits, but those with knowledge of such things knew the _geas _was strong, and its penalty would fall upon any who rebelled against it. The knights did not permit any to waylay the bandits in their exodus, though this act did little to ingratiate the company to either party. Jeers and curses were not admonished, however, and these rang out from the gathered villagers until the last outlaw had vanished into the shadows of the forest. Only Sakura seemed to have maintained any favor amongst the peasants, much to the irritation of a certain golden-haired knight.

"Chivalry demands modesty," Naruto muttered to Sasuke, "but simply because we do not need thanks does not mean our work should be thankless, faith."

Sasuke simply nodded. He was not generally concerned with the opinions of those he aided, but Naruto took such things to heart, for good or ill. He could not bring himself to admonish his friend, however, for they had wasted many hours now, and the thought that they might sacrifice Gaara's life for a thankless village was something even he found distasteful.

Lee had been silent throughout the conflict and its resolution, and Naruto had taken notice of this with some curiosity. Inari had likewise kept his peace, though the play of emotions across the boy's face spoke loudly for his thoughts concerning the events which had transpired.

"It is unusual to see you so quiet, Brother," Naruto said to the green-clad knight. "The last time we fought together, your voice echoed across the field. Are you troubled, faith?"

Lee sighed, as if he had been holding back some violent thought, only for it to die when the chance rose to make it known. "By youth, I am," he admitted. "It is virtuous to defend children, and it is sinful to fight with hatred, yet, as a defender of children, I cannot help but be filled with hatred for those who would do them harm. Lord Gai teaches that we should douse hatred in an ocean of resolve, but that has always been difficult for me." This he said mournfully, taking it as a personal failure that he could not fully grasp his Master's teachings. "In truth, I would have joyfully inflicted horrible violence upon our prisoners, were it not for the bonds of chivalry and your own presence, by youth."

Naruto nodded, his brow furrowing as he considered the dilemma. "I think it is a struggle we all face," he admitted. "There are even those who say, 'you do not love if you do not hate,' faith."

"Truly," Sasuke said, "to feel hatred for one who harms that which you love, is a symptom of that very love. We may not agree upon the value of hatred, Brother Lee, but so long as you are not ruled by its justice, but the justice of your love, then hatred is not sinful, but human. It is not the thought which is sinful - merely the act."

Inari, who had listened closely to the exchange, turned then to Kakashi. "Is it not the nature of a _geas _to fade after a certain time?" he asked the paladin.

Kakashi looked at him absently. "Convention, not nature," he said simply. Sasuke, too, seemed to have come to the same realization as the squire.

"All the conditions of a _geas _must be spoken aloud, yet I do not recall that you placed such a condition," the raven said, his voice and his eyes speculative.

"Your memory has not begun to fail you so soon, Sasuke," the paladin agreed. "I did not place such a condition. The outlaws will not escape the _geas _even should they live a hundred years. They will fight until they die - by curse, by battle, or by their own hand."

Lee looked up at this and laughed harshly, the vicious fire rekindled in his eyes.

* * *

Naruto had no desire to waste further time, and politely, though somewhat impatiently, refused Osake's offer of hospitality, claiming the horses had rested enough that day, and now would be made to earn their feed. Sakura did not voice her complaint, though her face made plain her irritation, and she warned the younger knight that she would knock him from his horse if he did not allow them some rest before morning. He laughed this off, yet admitted silently to himself that it had been she who had put forth the greatest effort that day, and resolved to call a halt when she demanded one.

Sasuke, too, had grown somewhat uneasy at the prospect of a nightlong ride. His bargain with the demon fox sprang now to the forefront of his mind, and he wondered silently how the beast would consider Sasuke's failure to present himself at the appointed hour of midnight. He did not long dwell on this thought, for the simple reason that a failure on his part would almost certainly result in retaliation against Naruto, no matter the creature's subtler inclinations. Knowing his friend as he did, and knowing therefore that his own suggestion for a halt would be ruthlessly belittled and denied (according to the nature of their unusual friendship), Sasuke determined to work his designs through Sakura, a task which, though intellectually enticing, left him nonetheless apprehensive. Sakura possessed superb insight on matters concerning her companions, even after years of separation, and he did not think that he, in turn, possessed the subtlety to match it. He did not doubt he would succeed, only that he would succeed in the manner he desired; in truth, it was less doubt than certainty. Sakura would follow his designs, perhaps even without much prompting, yet she would be keenly aware of his influence, and, depending upon her own inclination, indulge in potentially dangerous conjecture concerning his intentions.

The raven knight sighed. He had not been rejoined with his fellow pupils for even a week's time, and already he was embroiling himself in intrigue and deceit as if they were rival lords at Court. He truly had no cause to keep the nature of his bargain to himself, save his thrice-damned pride. Naruto was under the impression that he had, by some innate power, subdued the demon, and no doubt his fellows would think poorly of his decision to deal with the creature after its own fashion. He wanted to prove to them that he had grown over the years of their separation, and such an admittance would certainly not aid his efforts on that field. He recalled now, as well, his own judgment concerning Naruto's bargain with the fox, which had started them upon this urgent mission only two days prior.

Hypocrisy was a sour potion to swallow.

All these things Sasuke thought as they rode through the night, and, when he reckoned that midnight was not far off, he slowed his horse lightly in order to draw away from his place beside Naruto at the head of the column. It had been his original intention to maneuver himself alongside Sakura, but, in the process of doing so, it occurred to him that there was a far less perilous means of achieving his ends, which he might have discovered had he paid greater mind to his companions. Or one companion, in particular.

Inari rode near the rear of the column, at times joined by and at others followed by Kakashi and Lee. By some fortune, the young squire was at that moment some distance ahead of both, and Sasuke joined him with a silent prayer to the merciful God, thankful that he was not forced to devise some further contrivance to isolate the boy. He caught himself in the midst of that thought, somewhat appalled, yet equally amused by its rather sinister implications.

"Inari!" he said, raising his voice so that it might carry over the clatter of iron-shod hooves upon the pavestone.

The squire looked up and turned to him, surprised somewhat by the sudden address. "Sasuke," he acknowledge, raising his own voice.

"How are you faring with this pace?" the knight asked. "This day has been long even for a man trained to it. Are you tired?"

Inari shook his head. "I think I can ride for a little longer. Every hour is precious, and I have no wish to be a burden."

Sasuke smiled a little, his eyes warm. "You are no burden, little Inari, but a blessing! Were we not concerned for your strength, we would ignore our weariness until it drove us to the earth, and our quest would be ended by our own obstinacy. If you are tired, say so; a rest does no less good to us than to you - indeed, it does more! You are still learning to tap the strength of your spirit, but we knights draw upon it constantly; and so it may happen that, in a desperate moment, your spirit will sustain you when your body cannot, while we, being spent in both, might perish. Therefore a rest does doubly for us as it does for you. If you are weary, speak up!"

The young boy seemed somewhat eased by these words, yet still he hesitated, glancing at the back of his Master, and Sasuke could see that the squire imagined what Naruto might say in response to a halt. "If you are worried by the Dunce's impatience, speak instead to Sakura. She wields a certain clout over him."

At first the squire flushed, and Sasuke recalled suddenly a boy's pride before an object of his affection, and nearly threw himself from his horse for his own stupidity - of course the boy would not wish to appear weak before Sakura! - but then Inari laughed and, nodding to the Uchiha gratefully, spurred his horse to join the lady knight. After a few short moments, Sakura's voice rose to reach the remainder of the company, and Sasuke permitted himself a small sigh.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted from her saddle. "We are stopping! Now!" Her voice brooked no argument, though the younger knight, perhaps forgetting himself, perhaps for the sake of his character, attempted it nonetheless.

"Sister!" he cried, in a voice some might call petulant, even as he slowed his horse and turned to look back to her. Yet already the lady knight had dismounted, and her brilliant green eyes pierced him with a glare that had cowed greater men than he. Naruto did not possess the resolve to withstand it, and even Lee's polite suggestion, that they might at least continue to the next hospice, was equally politely, and a good deal more cheerfully, denied. Sasuke nearly laughed aloud when he saw the look of dismay that flashed across Inari's face. The boy had played his part too well for his own good, it seemed; Sakura had seized upon the opportunity to frustrate Naruto in a most obtrusive, yet, on the whole, utterly irrelevant manner, purely because of the beautifully spiteful woman she was.

"Resting off the road will not delay us any longer than resting at a hospice," she argued, "and it is too long since I have slept beneath the forests of our homeland. This is an adventure, after all, and I intend to see it gone about properly." This she said as she led her horse further from the road, and the remainder of the party was obliged to follow, Inari quickly snatching up the lead rope of the warsteeds, which Sakura had kept tied to her saddle and had promptly relinquished upon her dismount.

Finding a suitable clearing, far enough from the road to obscure a fire, but not so far as to leave them lost, the lady knight nodded to herself, unclasped her cloak, and immediately began to strip off her armor, smiling lightly to the others as she spook.

"Lee, might I ask you to walk the horses about? And Sasuke, if you would please, prepare a cooking fire. Inari, be a dear and help me with this." She gestured at the clasp of her chainmail, and the squire hurried to comply, though he was quite sure she had experienced no trouble removing her own armor the previous night. "Kakashi," she went on, "I will require water for a stew, if you are not otherwise occupied. No, no, you needn't bow, I know it is your honor to wait upon me. Naruto-" Here she turned a cool look upon the golden-haired knight, and her voice rang with a cutting note that thoroughly bewildered him. "Pitch the tents, if you are able to manage that, after so long prancing about in that old castle."

Naruto made a sound of protest, which went ignored by the lady knight, who had seized command of the company so spectacularly as to leave the young man in a state of utter befuddlement, not yet truly aware enough to even manage a semblance of irritation, and looking as if he had suddenly noticed that the ground had vanished out from under him. He moved warily to stand by Sasuke, who had already set about collecting the various twigs, leaves, and branches necessary to build a proper fire.

"Have I done something to upset her, faith?" he asked his friend in a whisper, lest he be overheard by the object of his apprehension.

Sasuke merely offered him a look of wry amusement, and a muttered, "dunce," before returning to his appointed task.

Naruto scowled. "That is distinctly unhelpful, faith," he hissed, crossing his arms over his mailed chest, his thoughts divided equally between insulting the raven knight and contemplating the cause of Sakura's sudden temper. Was this a retaliation for his efforts to rouse the party to an early start that morning, or for forcing her to ride into the night, despite the strenuous nature of the magic she had but recently performed? Or perhaps, his greatest fear, he had managed to inflict some other slight on her, unaware of it though he might be, and so unable to make amends for it or, failing that, prevent himself from repeating it.

Sasuke seemed to take pity upon him, though, and Naruto did not think it unlikely that the raven-haired man had guessed his thoughts. "It is nothing you have done," he assured his friend quietly. "Our lady knight simply enjoys a game natural to the womanly condition."

Naruto looked at him in bewilderment and then astonishment, the meaning of his words only slowly dawning on the young knight, who then said something under his breath that the older knight was quiet certain was most inappropriate for a member of the clergy.

Sasuke smiled darkly. "Now, Naruto, what would your Master think of such a thing?"

The younger man seamlessly turned his language upon the elder, and proceeded to elucidate with great skill the ingenuity of a peasant boy who had heard far more than was entirely good for him. Sasuke withstood this withering assault admirably before, following the description of certain acts which his mother had apparently performed with a duck, he selected one of the stouter boughs from his collection of firewood and promptly shattered it upon the golden head.

The conversation deteriorated rather rapidly from there.

* * *

Despite the violent brawling between Naruto and Sasuke, which Lee deemed "youthful," Sakura deemed "inopportune," Inari deemed "rather dangerous," and Kakashi deemed not in the least bit worthy of his attention or comment, the camp was assembled quickly and effectively, if not perhaps very efficiently. Boiling the water which the silver-haired paladin had conjured and purified, Sakura had set about making what she could of the generally unappetizing journey rations available to them, resulting in a somewhat thin recipe which Inari and Lee graciously called "porridge," Naruto called "gruel," and Sasuke and Kakashi called nothing in particular, being too engaged in observing the violence visited upon the young Namikaze by their beautiful lady knight.

Yet for all the apparent conflict amongst the company, all would have admitted to feeling better than they had for many days, gathered together and enjoying the quibbles and quarrels they had left behind when they'd last parted. Lee felt somewhat unnecessary and intrusive amongst the tightly-woven bonds between the others, but quickly settled alongside Inari into the role of neutral commentator and referee, though there was, unashamedly, little in the way of neutrality in the pairs' judgments, much to Naruto's unceasing chagrin. Soon enough, however, the call of their bedding began to overwhelm the company, and watches were judiciously assigned or volunteered before they slipped away to their tents, Naruto sharing his with his squire, Sakura with Kakashi, and Sasuke with Lee.

It should be said that this was the original arrangement, and that Sasuke and Inari had quietly agreed that their positions should be exchanged, that the raven knight might aid Naruto in achieving a proper rest, so that he might not suffer further exhaustion at the hands of the demon fox. The squire had consented to first watch, and the evening was adjourned.

Naruto sighed as he entered his tent, Sasuke following him silently and sitting himself upon the bedding as he had done the night before, black eyes meeting blue expectantly.

"Faith," Naruto murmured. "Do you intend to be especially stubborn about this?" he ask.

"Yes," Sasuke said simply. The blonde knight smiled gratefully, and gently lay down to rest his head in the raven's lap, offering no more resistance than the single question, too eager for proper sleep to acknowledge his own misgivings on the matter. He did not at all enjoy the thought that Sasuke was forced to sacrifice his own rest for the sake of his friend's, and both knights knew that no word of Sasuke's could convince him otherwise. Even as Naruto had once helped Sasuke against his own inner demons, in spite of the Uchiha's unceasing hostility on the matter, now the younger knight was hard pressed to accept the same aid he had himself freely given. Once more, Naruto was forced to admit to himself that they were not very different, in the end.

When he at least drifted to sleep, he dreamed, and though his dreams were strange, they were his own, and did not trouble him.

* * *

"There is intrigue amongst us, Kakashi," Sakura said as she lay down upon her bedding, pulling her cloak over herself to ward off the chill of the night air. "Intrigue and deception, and we reunited for less than a ten-day. Surely you have noticed?"

The paladin hummed quietly, not naturally inclined to pursue such topics, even as idle musings to entertain oneself in the wilderness. Sakura, however, would not be deterred.

"You cannot deny that some change has come over Naruto - for the better, to be sure, but some change nonetheless. When we first met after so long apart, he was delighted, yes, but lacked the energy which so defines him as a knight and as a man. He drove himself forward with nothing more to sustain him than unwavering determination, and it has left him greatly weakened. You saw this?"

Again Kakashi simply hummed an agreement, attempting to recall some memory as to whether or no his former pupil had been so unrepentantly persistent in her youth. To his dismay, he remembered that she had.

"Then surely you recognized the difference of a single night," Sakura went on. "It is true that many knights are rejuvenated by the spirit of adventure, but I sense there is something more to this mystery, and if stolen glances and whispered converse are sufficient evidence, then Sasuke and Inari are most highly suspect. Were you aware that it was Sasuke who convinced Inari to request this halt?"

Another "hm" in answer. This one was quieter, as Kakashi slowly began to ignore the young woman with sufficient success to begin to doze.

"Are you not at all curious as to the solution to this mystery?" Sakura demanded of him, frustrated by his lack of interest.

This time her only answer was the quiet snore of the silver-haired knight.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_So, I realized I've been rather whiny about reviews, and decided to post this early as an apology. It's a little shorter than I intended, but it accomplishes everything it was supposed to._

_I've also noticed I tend to spend a lot of time in Sasuke's POV, even though I had originally planned for this story to be primarily Naruto's POV. Does anyone else have a problem with this?_

_Well, thanks for reading, and I'll see you in a week or so!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Naruto wheeled his horse deftly and reared up, raising his legendary mace before swinging it downward with a shout to shatter the rotting skull of a shambling ghoul. The bone crumpled like parchment beneath the blow, but the creature merely stumbled, then rose again to claw at the knight and his weapon, lodged firmly in its putrid crown. Holy power flared within the knight, and golden fire raced down his arm and through the _Rasengan _to purify and consume the monster, which let forth a screeching cry before falling to the earth, unmoving. Naruto shook the gore from his weapon, and turned his mount to face another.

It was the dusk of the third day of their travel, and they had now nearly crossed through the riverlands on the western border of the kingdom, and the trees had thinned as the ground changed from a fertile soil to a brown rock, which broke and split in great crevasses and rose in strange pillars and arches, shaped and scoured by the scorching winds that blew from the desert. Yet the road was good, and it was despite the broken earth and pressing winds that they had made good time, until the sun had nearly set, and the sandstone pillars cast their shadows like long, groping fingers, and the canyons and gullies were left in darkness. Then the monsters had stirred in their hidden lairs, and the scent of the living had drawn them like flies.

The company had been unprepared for the assault, confident that they would easily break through what few roving bands they might encounter on their way. This was not a terribly egregious arrogance, for the assembled knights were, most rightly, held amongst the strongest of their respective generations, and it was widely deemed that there was little in the world that might properly oppose them. Certainly a small band of undead ghouls would have been no challenge to any one of them alone - save Inari, perhaps, who was not yet a full trained knight - and all the company assembled together could not have ever considered that their combined might would have permitted them to be waylaid in any measure by such roving bands.

Yet the assault had not come in the form of a small band, taken unawares by the swiftly passing knights, but as a massed number of the shambling creatures, interspersed with a number of lesser demons that cackled maliciously as they directed the small army of ghouls against the company. The battleground was a poor fit to the mounted knights, for they had been ambushed upon a high bridge, which spanned over a canyon both wide and very deep, and they could not bring the full advantage of their mounts to bear in the battle. Yet this was not a great hindrance to them, merely the loss of advantage, for the Order of Fire was renowned for the quality of its heavy cavalry, trained as well in pitched combat as in the crashing charge that made them so feared. Upon sighting the monsters rushing towards them, the knights had swiftly leapt from their common steeds to the warhorses, which were trained to be especially vicious in combat, and lashed out with hooves and teeth, to perilous effect.

With a shout, Naruto had conjured his own legion, his ghostly warriors raising mace and shield to stem the tide of the attack. Yet they could not hold all the enemy at bay, and the ghouls, with iron-hard claws, had the skill of clinging to a sheer face, and this they used to scramble down the sides of the bridge and up again, to assail the company on all sides.

Sasuke and Kakashi joined the line of ghostly warriors, riding back and forth with spears raised and crackling with lightning, lancing down over the heads of the defenders to pierce the mass of tainted flesh like thunderbolts, and swiftly eliminating any that breeched the line. Naruto rode this way and that along the length of the bridge, casting off those that sought to approach by the flank, his mighty blows as oft as not sending one monster careening into another, both to fall into the depths of the canyon, their violent screams echoing against the stone, only to be suddenly silenced by the jagged rocks below. Inari and Lee fought together at the rear, and they proved as deadly as their companions at the front, despite their own limitations. Inari, not yet possessing the strength or skill of an experienced knight, instead followed behind the powerful disciple, striking with holy power the enemies which Lee left in his wake, the knight himself unable to dispel the evil enchantments which animated the rotting corpses. In this fashion they expertly disposed of all that approached, the sword of the knight flashing with preternatural agility and strength, and the iron cudgel of the squire glowing golden with the power of his holy recitations.

Yet of greatest import to their endeavor was the silent effort of the Lady Sakura, who knelt upon one knee in the center of the battlefield, her head bowed in meditation, and clutching in her left hand a book of scripture and in her right hand an amulet of silver. This she held close to her mailed breast, and one with keen eyes might have made out its shape, a nine-rayed sun, which, even in the light of the red sky, shone pure and white between her fingers.

The lady knight did not stir at any sound of battle, even as Naruto charged towards her suddenly, only to leap over her head and plant the hooves of his horse firmly down upon the chest of a ghoul that had drawn too close. The mount, gifted and trained to serve a Holy Knight, was untroubled by the golden flame that suddenly raced down from its rider and engulfed its hoof, which it promptly struck through the body of the undead beneath it.

"Sakura," Naruto said, his voice light, though his eyes held a trace of worry, "we are in something of a rush, faith..."

Green eyes looked up at him crossly, but the lady knight did not deign to reply, her lips instead whispering silently the final words to her prayer. The amulet in her had began to glint and flash between her fingers, and she stood suddenly to raise it above her head with a cry.

"_For the fire is the Holy Spirit, which abides no evil! Behold! all shadow passes before Its light!_"

At once the amulet flared with a brilliant radiance, and the sounds of combat were stilled as her voice rang out across the battlefield, joined as it seemed by a great chorus, which swept across the company and lifted their hearts with its song, before crashing upon the vile host in thunderous denunciation. A pillar of silver fire rose from the lady knight, and with the sonorous voice of a great bell it exploded outward, a wall of holy power consuming all in its path.

When the magic of the holy prayer had passed, the company looked about them, and found all their foes lay sprawled upon the earth, inanimate, now no more than fetid carrion. Sakura lowered the amulet in her hand, and turned to Naruto to rebuke his impatience, yet thought better of it, and instead offered him a weary smile.

"Very well done, Sakura," Kakashi said as he and Sasuke approached, their spears held low and dripping with gore. Lee and Inari also joined them, the squire panting lightly from the excitement and exertion, wiping his face of the blood which had splashed from the combat. Indeed, all of the company, save Sakura, was speckled with blood and unwholesome ichors, though the paladin and Uchiha were considerably less so, by virtue of the distance afforded them by their weapons.

"Thank you, Master," Sakura said. "I only regret the I did not have foresight enough to prepare a sigil for such an occasion. If one considers the nature of our enemies for even a moment, the need for such provision is plain. I was neglectful."

"You should not concern yourself overmuch on that account," Sasuke told her softly. Naruto laughed.

"After all," the younger knight grinned, "neither the brilliant Hatake nor Uchiha considered it either, faith!"

The raven knight scowled at him. "I happened to have noticed you likewise failed to prepare for such an event."

Naruto merely shrugged, unconcerned. "I have never claimed to be brilliant," he replied. The remainder of the company looked at him wryly, and Inari laughed outright. Naruto flushed guiltily. "I have never been _accused _of brilliance," he amended, muttering a sullen "faith."

Lee grinned encouragingly. "Do not worry over something like that, Naruto! We are neither of us especially gifted in scholastic matters, but we are not without our own brilliance, by youth!"

This seemed to cheer Naruto quite well, though by their shared expressions, Sasuke and Sakura did not appear to feel that, whatever brilliance the gold-headed knight possessed, it was worth trading their own for. That is not to say they did not respect Naruto as a knight, for in truth they considered him in many ways superior to themselves, though they would never admit to this; it was rather agreed that each of them had certain skills and inclinations which, after spending the entirety of their young lives acclimating to, they were quite fond of. Just as Sakura and Sasuke would not have traded their intellect for Naruto's stamina and determination, so Naruto would not have traded his own qualities for theirs. This did not stop any of them from pretending to look down upon the others, of course - their friendship being the odd sort that it was.

The company cleaned themselves as best they could and prepared to continue on, yet Naruto paused before mounting to look once more upon the sprawled bodies that littered the road. A whisper seemed to pass through his thoughts, and he recalled the pact he had made with the demon fox, in exchange for the knowledge which had spurred them on their quest.

"Not yet, faith," he murmured quietly, before pulling himself up into the saddle. "Not now." Then he turned, and, seeing the others watching him, each with a different look in their eye, he laughed loudly and spurred his horse forward, the others following without word.

They arrived at the edge of the desert within the hour, and rode all the night while the air was cool. As dawn rose on the fourth day of their journey, they reached the Court of Sands.

* * *

The City of Spires, it was called; Lily of the Desert, Jewel of the West: Ah-Rena, the Royal City of Winds, where was held the Court of Sands, and the Fifth Chapter of the Order of the Silver Sun. A hundred minarets and turrets caught the morning light, flashing with crimson and sapphire radiance as they reached towards the brightening sky, and the walls of white stone, a mighty ring that held all the city within it, were painted red by the dawn. At the center of the city stood the palace of the king, its vast golden dome soaring higher than all about it, and seeming to match the brilliance of the sun that even now drew itself slowly above the eastern horizon. The sight urged the company of knights to greater speed, now so close to their goal at last, and upon the heels of their relief followed a gnawing fear, for they did not know what awaited them.

Indeed, their fears were not vain, for as they approached the Lion's Gate, which opened out upon the east road, they saw many knights and guardsmen rushing to and fro about it and beyond, so that the city seemed like a hill of ants which had been suddenly trodden and left in disarray.

Naruto was the first to reach the great gate, which he now saw hung broken upon its hinges, and the walls about it were cracked and scorched as if by a mighty fire.

"Hold, traveler!" a guard called to him, though he raised his left hand, which was empty, rather than the spear in his right.

"I am a Knight of the Holy Order of the Silver Sun, faith!" Naruto announced quickly. "My fellows and I have come with all haste, having heard grim tidings concerning the fate of the Grand Master of this chapter. Where is the Lord Gaara, faith?"

At these words the guardsman's face, which was before filled with astonishment, grew dark. "I do not know the ways of the Holy Knights, that such tidings might have reached you so soon in the Kingdom of Fire, Lord Namikaze. Yes," the man said, "I know your face and your name, for you are regarded highly in our own kingdom for the friendship you share with the Lord Grand Master. Yet even the miracle of your arrival, now in our time need, has fallen short, for had you come some mere hours earlier, perhaps our Lord would be with us still."

"Surely he is not...?" Naruto could not bring himself to finish, and by some mercy the guard did not require it.

"Whether dead or alive, we know not," he told the knight, who had now been joined by his companions. "His body was taken by those that assailed us, and they fled east, the way you have come. We pursued, under the command of the Lord Kankuro, but we were foiled, and even now the elder brother lies dying as the younger is stolen from us."

"Then it is as we both hoped and feared," Sasuke said. "The Cult requires a place of security and preparation in order to accomplish their ritual. Perhaps, no longer fearing further pursuit, they will move less quickly and less warily, and we may reach them before their ends are achieved."

"How will you find them?" the guard demanded. "Our fastest riders scour the desert for any trace, and our mightiest magicians scry in their crystals and mirrors, yet in vain. No sign has been found. I fear the cause lost before it began."

"No cause is lost," Kakashi said then, "so long as one man holds faith enough to see it won. And there are many who yet hold faith."

"I wish your words might bring me comfort, lord knight," the guard said sadly, "but in this hour I name all hope to be foolish."

"Then it is fortunate for us that folly has ever been the source of our victory," Sakura said, a smile dancing on her lips as she looked meaningfully at Naruto. Yet she grew stern, her code as a healer compelling her to action upon the knowledge of some malady at hand. "You spoke of Lord Kankuro, and some wound which may yet prove mortal, despite all the skill of your priests?"

"I did, Lady."

"Bring me to him the," she commanded firmly, and the guard bowed quickly and turned at once to lead her away. "Sasuke," she said, turning to the raven knight, "you spoke at Myoboku of some power by which you might discern the whereabouts of our enemies?"

"I did," Sasuke agreed. "I will join the magicians and discover what they have learned, then bend my own skill to the task."

"I will join you, then," Naruto said. "I would be of little use amongst healers, but my strength might bolster your spells, faith. No doubt the Cult has warded themselves well, and so defeated the efforts of the other magicians."

And so the company parted, Inari following Naruto and Sasuke to the tower which housed the magicians of Ah-Rena, and Kakashi and Lee joining Sakura as she prepared to invoke some new miracle of restoration, by which she might yet sustain Kankuro's life.

As Naruto hurried his mount through the streets alongside his friend, and trailed by his squire, he witnessed signs of a pitched battle only recently fought. Splashes of ichor and blood stained the walls and muddied the dust of the street, and there were many more marks of fire beyond the shattered gate. Cries of lamentation could be heard from within the houses, though no bodies of the slain or wounded had been left to wallow in the dust, for which the knight was glad. Guilt enough flooded his mind, for he resented for a moment the aid they had offered the village against the marauding bandits, and the hours that might now cost them Gaara's life. Were he to look upon the pale faces of his fellow knights, slain in battle, and feel nothing but impatience for them, his spirit would crumble beneath his shame. As if he had spoken his thoughts aloud, Sasuke turned to him, his gaze measured and probing, seeming to consider what words would best comfort his friend.

"We will be certain to properly mourn those who have fallen this day," he said finally, "but their spirits will not begrudge us our haste in our present task. For now, the living must tend to the living; the dead are patient enough."

Naruto smiled gratefully towards the raven knight, though his eyes remained clouded. "My greatest fear is my own indifference to suffering and loss," he admitted. "I could not bear for my heart to grow hardened against others, faith."

"And that is why it never shall," Sasuke told him simply. "Your heart could no more harden than the sun could rise in the west."

Naruto was not convinced, however. "Even so, faith..." he said, but did not argue further. Inari rode up beside him then, and without a word clasped his Master's arm firmly, eyes shining with trust and solidarity, and the knight looked at him in surprise, then smiled again. A simple touch and show of faith had eased his heart more than any words.

They rode in silence then for the few short minutes before they reached the Magery, where they were greeted by a door guard who barred them warily.

"Stand away, friend," Sasuke said, his voice somewhat impatient, eyes flashing dangerously at the soldier's hesitation. The knight dismounted and casually tossed the man the reins of his horse, and the guard, in his surprise and scramble to catch them, leapt from the gate, so that Sasuke slipped past him quickly, calling over his shoulder, "See that he does not wander," before hurrying through. Naruto and Inari dismounted also, and the blue-eyed knight offered a look of apology and sympathy as he passed his own horse to the bewildered man, before rushing after his friend. Inari offered a quick bow, then he too was gone, leaving the astonished and somewhat shame-faced guard standing awkwardly amongst the three horses.

The Magery, like most such structures assigned to its particular purpose, was in essence a very large tower, standing in the midst of a well-appointed garden, secluded from the general populace by a high wall, through which the three young men had just passed. There extended from the base of the tower many wings and halls, following up its height sometimes very far and sometimes not at all, so that all along its body rose terraces that looked outward in all directions, domed in violet glass, and seeming to Inari a very grand sight as it shimmered in the morning sun. Yet Naruto and Sasuke did not spare the tower more than a passing glance, as if to affirm that they had indeed arrived at the proper place, even as they strode across the lawn of the garden to the large doors which granted entry to the lower halls. Though there were some few robed and cowled magicians about them, the two knights seemed to project an aura of authority and power, and no others waylaid them, instead moving quickly to clear the path, whichever they might take. Naruto caught one by the arm who was too slow, and though his grip was firm, it was not tight.

"Hold, faith!" he said, his voicing echoing about the stone corridors. "Where do the magicians scry for the Lord Gaara? Quickly, faith!" Sasuke's pride would have led them in circles for hours, before deigning to ask direction, and Naruto had no time for it. The shaven-headed man answered him, his voice trembling slightly. Naruto grinned at him and clapped him soundly on the shoulder, and the man's knees buckled under the force, though, even as he began to fall, the knight was already dashing after Sasuke, who had not halted his long stride to wait for him. Inari caught the scholar quickly, before rushing after his master.

"They are in the highest room, of course," Naruto said, letting slip an irritable "faith."

"Hn," Sasuke said by way of acknowledgement, a flicker of annoyance dancing across his face as well, before it was gone. No sooner had Inari caught them again then they quickened their stride to a sprint, their mail rings clinking loudly with every footfall as their heavy boots pounded up the flights of winding stairs to the High Chamber. What few scholars and magicians they encountered pressed themselves quickly against the walls, watching after the three with varying stares of wonder, astonishment, fear, and even some few of disapproval, who muttered to themselves over the state of the age. All these the young men ignored, and soon they had reached their goal, barred only by a thick bronze door inscribed with many wards. Naruto hammered a gauntleted fist against it impatiently, and the door opened partly to reveal a furious green eye, which widened with recognition at the sight of the gold-headed knight, and the door opened just enough for the Lady Temari to slip through into the hall, before she pulled it shut behind her.

"What in blaze are _you _doing here?" she hissed, one hand resting on her hip, the other still clutching the door, as she glared at the knights and squire. She wore a thin dun-colored dressing gown, over which she had belted a black robe and cowl, the traditional raiment of a magician, which was lined with violet silk, as befit her high rank amongst that number. Her hair, most often constrained by a tangle of complex braids, seemed to have been tied back rather hurriedly, rising up and away from her head without ceremony, or even much apparent dignity, and her dark green eyes, though alert and flashing with frustrated energy, were nonetheless ringed with the marks of fatigue. In all, the three younger men were forced to admit to themselves that the Ambassador and lady knight looked quite terrible, though all were wise enough not to mention that. In the case of Naruto, of course, it was more likely that he was simply in too great a hurry.

"We came to help find Gaara," the young knight explained.

"And I suppose you have some other miracle to once again pull from the Nether?" she shot back. "Or did you think banging your head against the door would offer some shred of enlightenment? No, don't talk, you doltish child, I do not care what you have to say. Your very presence is like a boulder flung into a pond, scattering the perfect reflection we have striven for _hours _to assemble! I would toss you from the tower if I thought your chattering, imbecilic head would not simply bounce back up!"

Naruto was torn for a moment between embarrassment and outrage, and the latter was suddenly much in evidence on his face, and, looking back on it, he would admit he had been about to do something very regrettable in that moment. As fate, destiny, or just simply luck would have it, however, Sasuke choose then to interrupt Temari's rising tirade, and Naruto was firmly pulled behind him as the raven knight moved forward to address her.

"Temari, enough," he said coolly, unmoved by the vicious glare she threw back at him. "We do not have time for this. I will find Gaara, but not without great effort and the guidance of what hints your magicians have gathered before now. Tell me all you have discovered."

The lady ground her teeth for a moment, as if considering whether or not to indulge her temper and lash out against the Uchiha, yet fear for her brother carried the day, and the fiery frustration drained from her face, to be replaced with a steely determination. "Though Kankuro returned delirious and half-dead from his attempted rescue, he carried with him a scrap of cloth taken from the assailant's cloak," she told them. "We have used this as a focus, yet our visions seem misdirected, and drawn to over a score such articles, all spread out far from each other across the desert. I believe the assailants disposed of the damaged cloak and scattered it to achieve just such a misdirection."

"Have you not thought to use a focus of Gaara's?" Sasuke demanded, eyes narrowed in thought. The Lady Ambassador was a shrewd woman, and he could not imagine such a simple solution had been overlooked; yet if it had...

Temari shook her head firmly. "Gaara is a modest and frugal man," she said. "Any such thing we might have used, he carried with him, and was lost in his capture."

"And what of his bloodkin?" the raven questioned. "Kankuro does not now posses the strength, but what of yourself? Or has he a child?"

"No child, or wife, or lover," the lady knight said. "I have attempted to use the bonds of our blood," and here she raised her left hand to show a bandage wrapped about the palm, "but in vain. I fear they have prepared against such methods."

Sasuke's face was grim as he spoke. "Then I fear we must tread a darker and more dangerous path," he said. "Open the door; I require an open space and certain implements."

Temari eyed him warily, her gaze filled with mistrust and suspicion. "What is it you are planning, Uchiha?" she asked quietly, but when he met her gaze she held it for only a moment, before she turned away and opened the bronze door.

The chamber beyond was divided between two levels, connected by a curving stair along the wall. Upon the lower level were arranged twelve shallow pools, lined with polished silver, so that the still water formed a flawless mirror upon which to reflect the visions of the seers. Before each pool, facing outwards, sat a magician in a black cloak, each lined in emerald green silk, declaring them of a station only slightly lesser to the Lady Temari. Yet one magician wore no robe and cowl, arrayed instead in a simple dress of unadorned black linen, which wrapped about her hunched and ancient body several times, before the final length was tossed over one shoulder and pinned there. Her head was covered by an ancient white scarf, out from which tumbled her lank, dull grey hair, and her sagging, wrinkled face was sun-stained.

The old woman looked up from her meditation as Sasuke entered, followed closely by Temari, and in turn by Naruto and Inari, and the Uchiha caught her wrinkled eye for a moment before turning toward the curving stair to the higher level. Without word the old woman rose and followed them.

"Matron Chiyo," Temari said quietly when she saw the woman approach, and her eyes were questioning as she searched the wrinkled face for some sign, yet the matron wore only a look of dry curiosity, and motioned silently that the group continue on. Sasuke had not paused, and the others ascended lightly after him to the second level of the chamber, the ancient matron close behind, still silent.

This highest level of the tower was walled by great panes of glass on all sides, from which one might overlook the whole of the city, and see the desert horizon stretching out beyond, a sea of sands, the mighty dunes like cresting waves rising and falling to the limits of their sight. Set within the stone floor was a pool of clear water, much larger than those below, and beneath its still surface was inlaid an image of a nine-pointed star, enclosed by a perfect circle. The ceiling was domed and adorned with strange patterns of shimmering violet crystal, and all about them could be heard the muffled roar of a ceaseless wind.

"The circle is silver?" Sasuke asked then as he approached the pool at the center of the room.

"It is," Temari told him, and the knight nodded, though it seemed more to himself than as a gesture of acknowledgement.

"And the water-"

"Is holy." The lady knight looked at the raven speculatively, and though she seemed to guess the line of his questioning, she did not seem to recognize his full intent.

"Naruto," Sasuke said, turning to the golden-haired knight, "I will need you for this ritual." The younger knight straightened, his blue eyes for once offering a silent and unquestioning obedience. "Purify yourself in the water. I will be forced to draw upon the darkness of the beast bound within you, and it must be permitted no opportunity to overcome you."

Naruto nodded. "Inari," he said to his squire, and at once the two set about removing the knight's armor and clothing, until he stood bare, save for a brief cloth about his waist. Temari seemed to allow herself a moment of appreciation, her eyes roving across the tanned and muscled body of the young man, before drawing herself back to the moment and the dire circumstances that faced them. Naruto stepped into the pool slowly, moving until he had reached its deepest point, at the center of the silver star. The water reached only to his knees, and so he knelt down before bowing to submerge his head and body fully. Nine times he lowered his head beneath the water, and the others saw his lips moving in silent prayer each time he rose again. When he rose a final time, he stood and faced Sasuke, the holy water running in sparkling rivulets down his body and dripping from his bright yellow hair. Sasuke nodded once, and raised a silver amulet in the shape of a nine-rayed sun, identical in every way to the one which Sakura had used in their battle upon the bridge.

"A moment, lord knight," Matron Chiyo said suddenly from her place near the winding stair, her voice creaking with age and disuse. Sasuke paused and looked at her, his eyes questioning, and the old woman moved towards him even as she drew a slender silver rod from the folds of her dress. The rod was nearly the length of the knight's arm, from the elbow to his fingertips, and less then an inch wide, utterly without ornament or embellishment, save for a short span near its tip, where it had been twisted nine times before straightening again. This she offered to the raven knight, who took it in his right hand with a nod of thanks, raising it towards Naruto alongside the amulet, which he held in his left, as Chiyo withdrew once more.

"_Glory everlasting be to God! for in His eye is beheld all the World_," Sasuke began, his voice somber and ringing with the cadence of holy verse. "_Glory to Him! for the voice of all the World is carried to Him upon the breath of the earth. Eternal and unceasing is His glory! for the truth of all the World is revealed to Him._

"_Hail Lord, o God! Thy servant beseeches Thee in the hour of his tribulation. Let his face be clear to Thee, and his voice carried to Thee upon the wind, and the truth of his heart made plain to Thee, that thy Grace and blessing come upon him in his hour. By the word of thy Holy Prophet do I appeal to Thee._"

The silver amulet in the knight's left hand began to shine with a pale radiance, growing brighter with each word that passed from his lips. "_Lo! Thy servant is struck down, and his enemies carry him into darkness. Mighty are they, and mighty is their sorcery in despite of Thee. See! Their paths are veiled in their wickedness, and the light of thy servants doth not shine upon them._"

It seemed then that Sasuke broke off from his prayer, and turned his will upon a different power, and where before his voice appealed to God in praise and humility, now it rang with authority. "_Awake! beast, and stir thyself from thy miserable scheming! Turn thy spirit upon thy brother, which dwelleth in bondage alike to thee. By the authority of my Will and blood do I command thee, and thou shalt submit to me!_"

Suddenly the chamber was cast into a profound darkness, and the walls of glass turned black and empty, and devoured the light that shone from the morning sun. Only the holy amulet in Sasuke's hand illuminated the chamber, and in its pale light the onlookers saw a crimson mist rise from Naruto's body, twisting and churning this way and that with a strange malevolence. Sasuke thrust the silver rod forward, and the mist seemed to recoil, writhing upon itself even as it continued to cloak the blue-eyed knight.

"_O God!_" Sasuke cried, "_Grant me thy vision and thy power, that the truth of the World be made plain to me, as it is made plain to Thee. In the name of thy holy servant Madara, Patron and Saint of Seers, do I appeal to Thee, o my God, and by his blood also, which I weep upon the earth!_

"_Heavenly Father, Ancient and Eternal, Lord and God of all the World! Mine eye is Thine!_"

A vast roar swept through the minds of the onlookers, crashing upon them like a falling star, and they stumbled beneath it. A great noise, like the sound of shattering glass, resounded through the chamber, and in the all-consuming darkness of one tall window there flickered a dull crimson light, small and faint, as if seen from a great distance. Then all at once the darkness passed, and the room was bathed once more only in the simple light of a desert dawn.

Sasuke swayed were he stood, his chest rising and falling quickly, his pride preventing him from gasping aloud for the air his body now suddenly demanded. Naruto, no longer cloaked in the evil crimson mist, moved forward hurriedly to steady him, ignoring the Uchiha's attempts to wave him off. The younger knight stood beside him and hooked on arm around his back, forcing the raven to lean on him.

"The bridge," Sasuke said between breaths, his eyes distant. "He's at the bridge." A single drop of blood fell slowly down his face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

"And so the purpose of the ghoulish horde which waylaid us is revealed," Kakashi said, his brow lightly furrowed. The masked paladin stood near the high window of the chamber in which the company had gathered, save for Sasuke, who had retired to a secluded cell in order to recuperate, through meditative prayer, the strength he had expended in his divination. Sakura sat in a soft velvet chair, a trace of weariness in her face, but her eyes were bright and sharp, and she had listened intently as Naruto had relayed the knowledge the raven knight had gathered concerning the whereabouts of their captured Brother. Lee stood beside her, and though he had listened seriously to the younger knight's words, he did not seem to trouble himself by considering them further, simply waiting in silence for the time when they would act upon the conclusions of the others. Inari, who stood respectfully somewhat apart and close to the door, seemed to accept his position as somewhat alike to the powerful disciple's, being not very certain that his own thoughts would prove advantageous to the situation, though his mind raced even as he remained silent. Naruto, as was his habit, strode back and forth across the chamber, his mail shirt rustling and clinking with each step, and his fingers drumming a ceaseless rhythm on the pommel of the _Rasengan_.

"Is Sasuke certain that the bridge and canyon are the final destination of Gaara's captors?" Sakura asked Naruto, not looking at the steadily pacing knight. She leaned against one arm of the large cushioned seat, her legs crossed, and one hand raised to her delicate lips as she thought. She had removed her cloak and her gauntlets, the sturdy brown garment thrown across the high back of the chair, and the iron gloves resting heavily in her lap.

Naruto paused long enough to glance at her as he answered, though she did not seem to notice, for she continued to gaze intently into some middle distance. "I do not know, faith," he said, his brow worried, and he began to move again as he continued. "He said only that Gaara was there - no, faith - the _beast _was there, and that its spirit flared and flickered strangely. He believes its bonds are weakening, faith." Sakura nodded, yet remained in silent thought, until Inari spoke suddenly as a thought occurred to him.

"How is it that the Cultists could have already reached the canyon so quickly? Even by the power of the sacred oil, we could not travel fifty leagues in so little time. Are they carried by the wind?" This last was meant as an absurdity, yet, to the young squire's surprise, the others seemed to consider it seriously.

"That is one possibility," Kakashi nodded, turning to look out beyond the tall window, his voice thoughtful. "I think, however, it is more likely that they have taken dreadsteeds to mount."

Lee saw the uncomprehending look on Inari's face, and explained quickly, "Dead horses, risen through necromancy. So long as their masters have strength enough to sustain those magics which animate them, the creatures are untiring. They may very well cross fifty leagues in a single morning."

"Events have taken an unfortunate turn," Sakura noted. "We had counted upon our superior mounts to overtake them, yet already they have reached the site of their preparations."

"And yet the ritual will still take time, faith?" Naruto demanded. "We might yet reach Gaara before its completion."

"Yes," Sakura said, "we might."

The door opened then, and Matron Chiyo entered the chamber with the calm self-assurance of an elder who, by the grace of her long life, was beyond reproach. "It seems to me," she said, her voice creaking with the weight of her years, "that we have little time to waste. I have sent a man to prepare our horses."

The knights and squire looked at her in bewilderment, thrown off-guard by the suddenness of her address, yet the paladin Kakashi seemed unsurprised, and a spark of wry amusement flickered in his eye. "'Tis not a very virtuous thing, Matron, this habit of listening at doors," he said lightly.

The old woman grinned, revealing her missing and crooked teeth, and her wrinkled eyes were alight with an unrepentant wickedness. "I am far too old to be very virtuous, my Son," she answered almost gleefully. "After a lifetime of sins, one begins to lose track of them all, and soon enough a bit of listening at doors seems hardly significant by comparison." She shuffled over to where Sakura sat, and with one hand made a careless shooing motion at the lady knight, who quickly relinquished her seat. It was only after, as Sakura watched the ancient woman make herself comfortable, that a flicker of irritation flashed across her face, for she realized belatedly that there was a second, identical chair that stood empty across from her. The matron seemed utterly unconcerned by this unnecessary observation. "We will depart, I think, once your wayward seer has sufficiently recuperated." And promptly and without ceremony, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The company watched her with varying states of emotion, ranging from the paladin's dry amusement, to the squire's uncomprehending astonishment, to the lady knight's suppressed exasperation. Sakura swiftly redirected her ire upon her former Master.

"Surely you will not accept the company of this-" She seemed to struggle for a moment between honesty and courtesy, settling finally, and with some hint of surrender, on, "-matron. Our mission demands speed and vigor, and surely she will prove a hindrance in battle."

"Do not be so quick to dismiss your elders, Sakura," Kakashi replied, though any admonishment in his voice was undermined by its absolute indifference. "The Matron Chiyo al Ah-Rena was, in her youth, praised as the greatest and most lovely practitioner of the Divine Touch, and, though her beauty is somewhat diminished, I assure you her spirit is not."

There was a crackling laugh, and Sakura, startled, turned back to the old woman. "Listen well to your Master, my Daughter," the matron said, her eyes still closed in feigned sleep. "His words are, perhaps, over-gracious concerning certain matters, but he speaks truly upon others." One eye opened, flashing gleefully up at the lady knight. "I am, after all, nearly as beautiful now as in my youth!"

"That does not speak well of your youth, then," Sasuke said from the door, and the company turned at his sudden appearance. The old matron laughed loudly.

"Truly," she agreed.

Naruto moved at once to stand in front of Sasuke, his eyes narrowed as he examined the raven knight for any sign that the Uchiha was not yet suitably refreshed to continue their mission. The blood had been washed from Sasuke's face, and though his eyes were cool, they were not the blank and unseeing orbs he at times adopted when he wished to conceal some thought or feeling from his companions. Sasuke pinned the golden-haired knight with a look both questioning and challenging, and Naruto nodded firmly to himself, unaffected by the dagger of cold animosity only lightly hidden in the glance.

"We can leave now, faith," the young knight said, as if his word alone was all they had awaited - indeed it may well have been. Almost before the words had left his lips, he was moving towards the door, fully intent on charging once more out across the desert and to the eastern border of the Kingdom of Winds. Sasuke snatched the back of his orange surcoat as he passed, however, and Naruto was quickly and forcefully dragged back.

"I think," the Uchiha said, not releasing the other knight, "that we would be well served to attire ourselves now in somewhat more significant battle-garb." He raised a questioning brow towards Kakashi, who nodded absently in agreement.

Lee grinned ruefully at the suggestion. "I admit I would feel better with a solid breastplate between my heart and a Cultist sword. Mail is well and good for a brigand's knife or an outlaw's arrow, but, by youth, 'tis a poor garment to ward a heavy blow."

"And I do not doubt you will have need to ward such heavy blows, before our task is done," the Matron Chiyo wheezed. "As well, I have ordered that certain prayers and elixirs be prepared for us, so that we do not all perish by a scorching sun, ere battle is joined."

Sakura looked at the ancient woman, her eyes speculative. "Perhaps you are more useful than I thought," she said, her voice only a hint too sweet to be sincere. The matron cackled.

* * *

The squires of the local chapter aided the knights into their armor, and within the span of a quarter hour the company had departed through the blackened East Gate of Ah-Rena, their common mounts left to the care of the stablehands. They now rode their warsteeds, which they had conserved for the whole of their journey, and which carried the steel-clad knights with an effortless gait across the blistering sands. The company had allowed a few minutes of prayer to be spoken by the priesthood on their behalf, and had anointed themselves and their horses with sacred elixirs, in addition to the holy oil of Myoboku, and the combined power of prayer and potion shielded them ably from the burning face of the sun.

Their first conflict arose some hours after their departure. Without hint or warning, a great dune, which rose high along the road they followed, suddenly gave a horrid shudder and dissolved in a tide of sand. Swarming out from beneath it, like a vile mass of vicious ants scurrying about a demolished hill, were the dried husks of desert ghouls. Their dead flesh was blackened and blistered by the heat, and withered almost to the bone, so that their bodies seemed alien and grotesque in proportion. The creatures scuttled about on all fours, their long, thin necks bobbing before their arched backs as their gaunt and sunken faces turned this way and that, fixed with a loathsome grin, their tongues dangling, long and slick with venom, from between gaping teeth.

The knights would have pressed through and on, save that the scuttling monsters demonstrated an astounding speed, and even as the horses were pushed into a gallop, the ghouls gained and were soon upon them. Sasuke and Kakashi, being furthest to the rear of the company, were the first to come under attack. Even as the creatures came within reach of their spears, the knight and paladin swung their weapons, swift and deadly, to cleave the forerunners in two. Yet already a number of the monsters had passed them, and lunged with yellowed claws at the Matron Chiyo. Calmly, and with an almost careless gesture, the matron cast her own spell, and the nearest ghoul twisted in the air to collide with an awesome force against another, and promptly began to rip its ally into gobbets of dried flesh.

Even as the monsters began to swarm about Sasuke and Kakashi, despite the swift destruction dealt out by the two holy knights, Naruto and Sakura joined them, charging from the van with shields low and weapons high. A sapphire maelstrom enveloped the _Rasengan_, and with a shout Naruto swung the weapon down, and the body of his foe seemed to shatter into dust. Sakura, the runes upon the _Okasho _flashing with power, crashed the mighty hammer into an offending ghoul, which was not so much knocked back as thrown, careening into all those behind it, and shattering their bodies with the force of the impact. In the span of a heartbeat they were joined by Lee and Inari, who at once set about raining blow after blow upon the surrounding enemies.

Suddenly the wave of monsters parted, and a dozen of the creatures dashed towards the company, yet unlike their fellows their skin was scarred and tattooed, and unholy magic coursed over their bodies. With a shout of alarm Kakashi sought to warn the others, yet Naruto, mistaking his meaning, turned and charged forward towards this new enemy, intent upon their destruction. As the knight approached, one of the monsters let out a piercing wail, and the spells that slithered across its skin flared with a violet light before exploding with a thunderous roar. Naruto and his horse were flung back, and the knight was thrown from his saddle, unharmed only by the grace of a pale blue shield that had, in the moment of destruction, shrouded mount and rider against the blast. Naruto did not have opportunity to thank Sakura for her timely intervention, however, for those creatures not consumed in the blast quickly moved to drown him in their numbers. Yet even as they converged on the knight, he was swallowed up by a blue fire, and was at once joined by the solid, steel-plated bodies of six golden-haired ghosts, their eyes fierce and their voices raised in challenge.

To Naruto's astonishment, and the astonishment of the other knights, the swarm of ghouls seemed to pause, and then with a malicious glee turned upon themselves, slaughtering each other as the company watched in bewilderment.

"Not bad for an old hag, eh?" the Matron Chiyo cackled, riding forward slowly to join the knights, even as the small army of abominations destroyed itself with remarkable efficiency. They looked at her, and all but Kakashi seemed to be silently reappraising the old woman who had so casually ended their battle.

Naruto laughed then, his face still flush with the excitement of combat. "Faith, I would like to learn _that _trick!" he said, grinning wider as Sasuke coolly sounded his agreement. Lee, to the golden-haired knight's amusement, seemed both appreciative and somewhat disappointed by the sudden end to the battle, while Sakura and Inari seemed merely relieved, though the lady knight did not sigh and slump in her saddle with nearly as much enthusiasm as the squire.

"If your horse is not injured, Naruto," Kakashi said pointedly, "mount up, and we will be on our way."

The young knight's face fell, and he glanced about the battlefield at the bodies of the slain. Fortunately, they had not been nearly so enduring as those which had assaulted them above the canyon to the east, and had collapsed after suffering sufficient violence, without the need for purification rites. This Naruto now deemed a mixed blessing.

"A moment, Master," he said, and his voice was tight as he steadied himself for what he was about to do. Leaving his horse, he moved towards one of the withered forms, drawing a short dagger from its sheath at his hip as he approached. The others watched uncertainly as he gently turned the corpse so that it faced the cloudless sky, brushing a gauntleted hand over its face to close unseeing eyes, and then, with a grim determination, slit open the dried body just below the chest. Lee, Sakura, and Inari gave a cry of alarm and moved to stop him, but to the surprise of all, it was Sasuke who was first to reach the young knight.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" he demanded quietly, kneeling on the other side of the corpse so that he might look his friend in the eye. Yet Naruto avoided his gaze and continued his grisly work, reaching a hand within the desiccated form sprawled between them; but even as his fist closed about the sand-choked heart, Sasuke caught his arm in one hand and his face in the other, and forced the golden-haired knight to look at him. "Brother," he murmured almost silently, "do not do this."

"Faith, do not stop me, Sasuke." By now the others had joined them, and they stood in a circle about the two knights in silent worry. Kakashi's eyes were hard, and he seemed to wrestle with some inner foe, and the Matron Chiyo looked on with a depthless sorrow born of some secret tragedy.

"I will not let you do this," Sasuke said, his hand like a vice on the arm of his fellow knight, though the hand that held Naruto's face was gentle. "The beast seeks only to weaken and destroy you. No priest or Holy Knight would condemn you for this breach; chivalry does not compel you to honor bargains made with demons." Naruto looked sharply at the raven knight, for he had said nothing to the others of the secret pact he had made with the nine-tailed beast, yet his suspicion passed before the agony of the moment.

"Chivalry does not compel me, faith," he said, "but what weakness this would bring me is nothing against the doubt that would plague me should I break my word. You know me, Sasuke," he said quietly. "Would you ask me to abandon my Code? My spirit could not bear it, faith."

"What is this bargain?" Kakashi demanded, his voice low and harsh. "Naruto, what is it that you intend to do here, and to what purpose?"

The knight did not answer at once, and so Sasuke spoke. "It is the price demanded of the demon fox," he said, "given in exchange for the knowledge which has led us here."

"What price?"

"Sin." The voice of the raven knight was quiet as he answered. "The price of knowledge is Sin, Master. Has it not always been so?" Kakashi continued to look down at them in silence. "The flesh of the dead, to be consumed until the beast was sated."

Lee and Inari hissed in surprise and shock, and Sakura raised a hand to her mouth, aghast, paling even in the desert heat. Kakashi and the Matron Chiyo remained unmoved, though the old woman's eyes darkened. To consume the flesh of another man was an act of incomparable impurity, and one who performed such a thing was to be shunned until he might be fully and thoroughly cleansed, if not killed outright.

"Surely, Naruto, you do not intend to follow through with this abomination?" Lee asked quickly. Inari nodded.

"Master, this is an absurdity," he agreed. "Sasuke is right; a bargain struck with demons does not weigh on your honor."

"Hush, children," Chiyo said suddenly, and with a surprising authority. "You do not know of what you speak." Her eyes were still darkened, but had softened somewhat as they rested on the blue-eyed knight. More gently, she addressed Naruto. "Must this be?" she asked.

The young knight nodded and spoke, his voice low and determined, yet tinged with a growing detachment. "It must."

Sasuke searched the eyes of his friend, and knew Naruto was right. The Taint which would poison his spirit here did not compare to the crippling doubt which would plague him should he abandon his Code. Sin could be forgiven, Taint could be cleansed, but doubt...doubt was not so simple. Doubt was the enemy of faith, and without faith a Holy Knight was no better than a common man. Slowly Sasuke nodded, and his grip upon the steel-clad arm relented, though he did not fully release it. Carefully, Naruto withdrew his hand from the body that lay between them, and the veins and channels surrounding the heart in his fist snapped like taught string as the withered muscle came loose. The knight looked at it for a moment, preparing himself. The heart was small, perhaps the size of a child's fist, for it was shrunken by the desert heat, and in his emotionless examination Naruto was somewhat grateful it was so, for there was no gore or ichor clinging to it, and he thought he might swallow it in a single mouthful. Yet there was still an unholy aura about the thing, and it seemed to feed on the light, and it burned cold through his gauntlet. For a moment his hand trembled, and, as if to deny the fear betrayed by that slight trembling, Naruto brought the shriveled heart to his lips and consumed it whole.

At once his body and spirit were wracked with pain, and he curled in upon himself with a low moan, clutching at his chest where the tainted thing seemed to freeze and burn his flesh. His spirit flared, fighting with the evil which infested the wretched heart, struggling to purify it. Yet it was not some simple, base struggle, for even as the taint burned Naruto's body, it slithered and wormed into his mind, drawing upon the darkness it found there; hatred, envy, fear, and despair, conjured up from half-forgotten memories to undermine him.

Sasuke was holding him, pressing the sweating golden brow to his own, and whispering gentle assurances, his breath ghosting across Naruto's dry and cracking lips.

"I am here, Naruto, Brother. I am here. Remember me. Remember when we faced the darkness together, and it fled. We are strong, Naruto, Brother. Remember our strength. Remember the joy and the laughter. Remember the light. Remember us."

Slowly at first, then more quickly, Naruto felt himself overcome the taint in his body. He felt sick, and his breath tasted rancid in his mouth, but the darkness diminished, and with a relieved "faith!" he gasped at the hot desert air again, and it warmed his blood.

The second heart was no easier, and after swallowing the third he turned suddenly and retched upon the sand, the black bile stinking and seething as the desert drank it eagerly. There were tears of pain and frustration in the knight's eyes, though he did not let them fall.

"No more," Sasuke said firmly, and when Naruto attempted to protest, the raven knight silenced him with a look. "No more," he said again. "I will carry the displeasure of the beast this time, Brother, if it remains unsated."

"I cannot ask-"

"You do not have to," Sasuke interrupted forcefully. Then, more gently, one hand brushing the sweat from the other's brow, "You will never have to, Naruto."

Sakura knelt beside them and moved to place a hand upon the younger knight's shoulder, yet restrained herself in the last moment. "When we have completed our journey, I will aid you in the rites of purification," she said simply. Naruto offered her a grateful smile, though it was wan with the effort of his trial. The three knights stood, and Inari offered his master a skin of water, which was accepted with a quiet word of gratitude, and Naruto washed his mouth with it, spitting out the remains of the sick before drinking eagerly.

"Naruto." The knight stiffened before turning to face the masked paladin, expecting some further rebuke, but Kakashi's harsh gaze had softened somewhat. The man did not touch his liege as he spoke. "We will speak more of this with the Lord Jiraiya when we return to Myoboku. It is a grave thing for a knight to make pacts of any kind with demons, but a matter of utmost severity for a Sacrifice to do so with a Demon Lord."

"Yes, Master," Naruto said, his head bowed and his eyes lowered, so as not to meet the paladin's gaze. It was only then that he noted with a sudden shock that Sasuke had not released his hold throughout the entire ordeal. With a start he leapt away from the raven knight, who looked at him with a mild and dispassionate curiosity, the slight raising of a single dark brow all that betrayed the trace of emotion on his face. "Idiot!" Naruto hissed. "Faith, are you so eager to be tainted also?"

All expression vanished from Sasuke's pale face, as swiftly as a curtain-fall, and for a moment he merely stared at the golden-headed knight, before striking him hard in one steel-clad shoulder. "Dunce," he said simply, before turning away to rejoin his mount. Naruto watched him with a look of pronounced irritation before doing the same, yanking perhaps with undue force on the reins. His horse looked at him mournfully, and at once all trace of irritation left the young knight as he apologized quickly to the innocent animal, rubbing its neck soothingly. The knight could feel the stares of the others on him - the legacy of a nervous childhood - but resolutely ignored their silent worry, and when he mounted, his face was fixed in that guileless and careless grin that seemed his most natural expression. It was not a mask, precisely, for that implied that he wished to hide, but rather the means by which he assured himself and those around him that all was well - his determined effort to remained unweighed by the challenges which life chose to set before him.

The knights and squire, being versed in the peculiarities of their friend, accepted this silent assurance at its face, burying their own doubts and disquietudes beneath the unbreakable resolve of their blue-eyed knight. Yet the Matron Chiyo, whether unused to the tactic or simply choosing to ignore it, continued to watch Naruto with a look of cool, calculating curiosity, and perhaps something more. The knight met her gaze unflinchingly, his sweat-dampened face shining with that unyielding love of life which left no place for hate, fear, or doubt, and in that moment the ancient matron knew that, even as she looked at this young man burdened by Destiny, the brilliant eyes that gazed back saw, through every mask and guise, to the depths of her soul.

Naruto watched this sudden recognition in the eyes of the old woman, and his grin widened as he saw, too, that she reveled in it. His childhood had given him many things, and few of them pleasant, yet this power of immediate insight and empathy was perhaps his greatest asset; more than his strength or skill, more even than his depthless resolve, it was this power, to see at once into the hearts of others and join them in their struggles, which made him invincible.

Hidden beneath the ruthless calculations of the old matron, Naruto saw the traces of sympathy, pity, and a strange respect, yet these paled beneath the shadow of an abiding self-loathing, which he now saw colored her every word and act. It was the reason she laughed at herself, he realized, for only by that absolute dismissal of herself could she bear the agony of that self-loathing.

And so he laughed as well.

Even as the dredges of unholy magic cursed through his body, numbing and burning, and swilled in his stomach like rot - even as the desert sun beat down upon his fevered body, and the burden of Sin weighed down his soul - he laughed. A strong, ringing, honest laugh. He laughed at the unholy magic, and the pain and the heat and the fever; he laughed at the worries and anxieties of his companions, and at his own desperation; he laughed at the enemies that plotted against them, and the whispers of the demon fox, always close; he laughed at the little games played between his friends, and the little foibles that made them all so precious to him; he laughed at the cold mask Sasuke wore to hide a fragile, beautiful heart, and at the loss they alone seemed to feel; he laughed at the darkness that every man and woman faced every day, and the silly ways it was always beaten back, even for just a little longer; he laughed at the absurdity and indescribable beauty of life, with all its twists and turns and unseen paths, and at the glorious stage of that most glorious play. He laughed at the world, and, because he listened, he heard the world laugh with him.

The others seemed startled by the suddenness of his laughter, yet it proved irresistible. The Matron Chiyo, knowing at once its source and its depth, joined first, raising her voice in a creaking, yet full-bodied laugh, and soon the others began to laugh as well, quietly at first and then stronger, each drawing on and multiplying the sudden and absurd joy sparked by their young, blue-eyed knight. Inari's laugh flitted between high and low, the laugh of a boy who was still not quite a man, and Lee's was deep and fierce, seeming to well up from the whole of his body. Sakura was bent in her saddle and clutching her sides, her laugh more full and honest than that of a courtly lady, and Kakashi's eye was crinkled as he chuckled softly, shaking his head.

Only Sasuke remained silent, yet by the little twist in his lips, the subtle tilt to his brow, and the dancing light in his eyes, Naruto knew the stoic Uchiha was laughing with them. When the laughter at last subsided, the young knight looked about at his companions.

"Faith, but that is better," he declared with a nod. "Such grim faces are terribly unfashionable, after all, and the fashion of knights is of the utmost import, faith!"

"I suppose that would make you a terribly poor knight, then," Sakura said lightly.

"Faith, My Lady, what ever do you mean?" Naruto asked, his voice laden with a grand disbelief and his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Your tabard, Dunce," Sasuke told him shortly. "Your most beloved tabard, by simple virtue of its abominable hue, is not, has never been, nor will ever be an acceptable fashion in any of the Five Kingdoms. Ever."

"My tabard is dyed in the most exceptional and beautiful color in all the world, faith!" Naruto declared piously. "Is that not so, Inari?"

"Indeed, Master," the squire answered solemnly, yet the look of triumph on Naruto's face was swiftly swept away; "It is not so."

The young knight looked desperately amongst the company for any ally, yet even the exuberant and ever-supportive Lee shook his head sadly at Naruto's silent appeal.

"Well," Naruto said, sniffing and straightening haughtily in his saddle, "I see we have nothing more to discuss, faith. If you would excuse me..." And with that he turned his horse and continued along the sun-baked road at a swift trot, followed by the eyes of his friends, who each watched him with a gentle laughter and a deep, abiding love.

* * *

It had been shortly after midday when the party had left the city of Ah-Rena, and they were still some ten leagues from the edge of the desert when the sun began to set, casting their shadows out before them as they rode. The moon, now full, hung already high in the eastern sky, so that the company was caught in the glow of the two celestial lights, their polished armor gleaming one moment a liquid red and the next a gleaming white. As they approached the border of the two kingdoms, the waves of sand began to give way to rocky protrusions and jagged tors that rose up suddenly from the mighty dunes.

Naruto nearly did not see the rider that sat his horse firmly in the center of the road, for he was hooded and cloaked in dark cloth, and his horse was black, and neither moon nor sun illuminated him, for he stood in the shadow of a stony promontory. The young knight raised his hand to signal to the others, and the company slowed their horses to a walk, approaching the stranger warily.

"Hail and peace, friend," Naruto greeted, calling over the distance, and the rider stirred before raising his head. Though the hood obscured the man's face, Naruto thought he saw a set of flashing eyes beneath the shadow. "What brings a lone rider out in the desert at such an hour, faith?"

The stranger laughed, loud, deep, and throaty, and Naruto's wariness transformed sharply into a piercing suspicion. "What indeed," the man said. "So asks the sheep of the wolf, knowing already the answer. Hail, Sacrifice, and I bid you and your party neither peace nor friendship - only pain, and a lasting suffering." With that the rider threw off his cloak, revealing a man powerfully built and in full armor, painted black and fastened by straps of red leather. He wore no helmet; rather, his head was shaven and hideously painted in woad, and from his saddle hung a monstrous sword.

Naruto hissed, reaching for mace and shield. "Kisame!"

The giant man laughed again. "Surely you did not think we would permit your interruption unopposed? No, Sacrifice, we have too long prepared for this day, and you shall not stop us."

Sasuke and Kakashi had joined Naruto at the van, and the raven knight regarded their foe with a cool disinterest. "I am surprised the Dawn saw fit to let their pet wander without its leash," he said.

Kisame grinned viciously at the Uchiha, and by that simple act Naruto, with a sudden insight, saw in the eyes of the fallen knight the secret he had held over them. He shouted suddenly in warning. "Sasuke!"

The raven knight raised his guard quickly, his muscles coiling beneath his armor in preparation for the flurry of strike and counter-strike that would come from an unseen foe. His eyes darted about, searching for the cause of Naruto's sharp warning, until his eyes were drawn to the height of the jagged promontory rising above them.

The eyes of the figure that stood upon that rocky face flashed red in the light of the setting sun, and Sasuke's blood ran cold. The voice of that man was soft and low, yet it seemed to echo across the desert.

"Hail, little brothers."

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Finally! I feel significantly more guilty about this chapter than the last, but the good news is that one of my classes is now finished, so I'll have lots more time to write.  
_

_This chapter was almost painful to get through, for some reason. I knew how I wanted it to start, end, and what was supposed to happen in-between, but fluffing it into 10 pages was maddening. I also feel like it's bipolar - one moment, doom-and-gloom, the next happy-jokes and banter. Does that throw anyone off, or do you think it works alright?  
_

_I know in the manga Kisame fights Team Gai and Itachi fights Team Kakashi, but I decided I have too many characters to write already without Team Gai, and I think even Itachi at full power would have a hard time on his own against the whole party. BTW, 'brothers' is SUPPOSED to be plural. *Mystery...*  
_

_Something I really want feedback on: should all of the ninja characters in the manga be Holy Knights, or should I mix it up a bit? Make some of 'em thieves, courtesans, magicians, priests, etc? I've already done something like that with Chiyo (Temari is technically a knight with standing with rank as a magician), but should I do it with others? If I don't, I may need to fill those conventional fantasy roles with OCs. So, if you have thoughts on the matter, please let me know them.  
_

_Think that's about it. The combat so far has been quick and light, but that'll change next chapter, which I will hopefully finish by next Friday. Until then, I hope you enjoyed Chapter 7, and please review!  
_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

"Itachi," Sasuke hissed. The man who stood high upon the promontory was clad in smoke-blackened armor and, like Kisame, wore no helm and carried no shield. The fallen knight was not so tall as his brother, yet his voice and bearing bore down upon them with the grim power of a demon lord.

Itachi raised his right hand, encased in a gauntlet which, in form and design, was strangely unlike the suit he wore, for it was made of a polished black steel, and etched with the shape of fire. Sasuke knew it for what it was: the Hand of _Amaterasu_, the Tainted Flame. The shadows of twilight flickered about the fingers of the elder Uchiha, and in the next moment he was engulfed in a cloak of black and violet flame. The fires flared once, obscuring him from sight, and his body rose into the night sky before crashing into the earth like a falling star, and when the fires faded the unholy warrior stood beside the woad-painted Kisame with a careless ease and chilling unconcern.

Naruto drew his horse close to his friend's. "Together, Brother," he murmured softly, and Sasuke nodded, his eyes not leaving the pair of Cultists as he settled his helm more firmly on his head.

"You have grown, little Naruto," Itachi said quietly, yet his voice rang clear in the ears of the company.

The smile Naruto offered was bland. "All the young men my age seem to be coming down with it, faith," he agreed.

Kisame laughed. "You were a far more pleasant child, Sacrifice, before this unfortunate habit of clever remarks."

Blue eyes narrowed, and Naruto's voiced became chillingly low. "No, Cultist dog," he said, "I have never been a pleasant child, faith, and if you ever thought as much, you are a greater fool than I."

"You misjudge yourself, little Naruto," Itachi said, his voice betraying a subdued melancholy. "Is it not said, _the worth of a man may not be known, save in Heaven_?"

Sasuke gave a derisive laugh, short and cutting. "Are we to sit here all night trading insults and banter," he said coolly, "and hear the words of holy scripture mouthed to us by a traitor?"

Itachi turned to the younger Uchiha. "Are you so eager for combat to be joined? I had thought our last parting would have made you more wary."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I have grown stronger since our last parting."

The fallen knight leveled a penetrating gaze against his brother. "Yes," he agreed after a moment, "so you have, little brother. But are you strong enough?"

"We are, faith," Naruto declared firmly. The dark knight's eyes drifted to him, and for a time the two watched each other in silence, and it seemed to those who watched that Naruto's aggressive resolve seemed to change. The knight sat taller in his saddle, yet his head was bowed, and he seemed in that way possessed at once of a great dignity and a great humility, and when he spoke his voice was soft. "Faith, do not come against us, Itachi, my brother."

For a moment the dark knight seemed almost to be swayed by the gentle plea, and then Kisame laughed harshly, and the moment was lost. "Think you that words will drive us away, boy?" the woad-painted knight demanded.

Naruto did not answer, and Itachi was also silent, yet the young knight knew that, though the fallen Uchiha might have indeed let them pass, conflict was now inevitable. The slender, black-armored knight seemed to agree, and he drew away from his companion in preparation for battle.

"Naruto, you and Lee and Sakura will engage with Kisame," Kakashi said then, speaking for the first time. "Sasuke and I will join with Matron Chiyo against Itachi."

"No, Master," Sasuke said. "Naruto and I will deal with the blood-traitor. Our battle is long overdue."

"Naruto is ill-suited to do battle with a magician and enchanter," the paladin argued, "and we will require his strength against a warrior of Kisame's stature."

"If I may, Lord Kakashi," Lee said then, "I think, perhaps, that the bonds of friendship between our two companions will here do them in better stead than strength or skill alone. I have myself encountered such times when my own power might seem unsuited to a task, and yet the presence of my own dear friend has proved of greater merit than logic and reasoning might otherwise suggest."

"Well said," Sakura murmured, and the others nodded their agreement.

"Trust us, Master," Naruto said firmly.

The paladin's eyes grew weary. "Not if I may help it. But so be it. Sakura, Lee, Matron; with me. Inari, do not interfere with this battle." The squire's protest was silenced with a glance. "Greater knights than we have fallen before these men," Kakashi said somberly, "and I will not this day permit another name to be added to the Book of the Dead."

Inari bowed his head obediently. "Yes, master," he said.

The harsh and graveled voice of Kisame intruded then. "Well?" he demanded. "Are you prepared then?"

Sasuke smiled cruelly at the giant man. "Chivalry, mongrel? Your masters are indeed worthy of praise, if they have turned your yapping into some semblance of manners."

"Hardly," the painted knight replied, and he suddenly charged.

It was Lee who met his charge, and the clash of their swords resounded across the desert as the muscles of their horses strained beneath the sudden impact. Kisame bore no lance, which the knights counted fortunate, for his sudden attack might have otherwise achieved far greater devastation. As it stood, _Samehada_, the monstrous two-handed sword he had drawn, and now wielded with a single hand, was quite nearly as deadly, and it served him better in the pitched battle he suddenly found himself in. One edge of the blade was smooth, and the other toothed like a saw, and the fallen knight used this second edge with skill and agility that would have astounded an onlooker, catching his opponent's blade and twisting it high so that it revealed the body of his foe. This opening was then seized with deft precision as the smooth edge angled towards the steel-clad knight, even as the saw-toothed edge trapped the knight's sword.

Yet Lee was not nearly so unprepared as Kisame might have guessed, and whistling from its sheath was drawn a long poniard with a wide cross-guard, which caught the deadly strike inches from the steel gorget about his neck. The dagger was in shape more like an aggrandized iron spike, unpolished and unedged, save for its needle-sharp point - a weapon perfectly suited to the penetration of plate and mail.

"Ah!" Kisame barked, his eyes alight. "Now I recall your face! Your master once did me grave insult, disciple, and now my blade shall gladly visit retribution upon the body of his most beloved pupil!"

Lee's eyes burned with a sudden fierceness. "And I know you, depraved and defiler. Your crimes against the innocent will be brought to justice this day, by _my _blade. No more shall you prey upon the young and the weak!"

_Samehada _was freed with a sharp twist, and with a roar Kisame brought it down upon the hasty guard of the green-clad knight. Yet the second brutal attack was caught in the hook on the mighty head of the _Okasho _as Lee was joined by his allies. Naruto and Sasuke did not permit their eyes to linger further upon the pitched melee, turning to regard their own chosen foe.

Itachi rode no mount, standing calmly some distance apart from the battle, dark fire flickering about his smoke-blackened heel. His right hand, wearing the enchanted gauntlet called _Amaterasu_, rested upon the sheath which hung from that side. He had not yet drawn his sword.

Sasuke's horse pawed the sand-covered road. "Prepare yourself!" the raven knight declared shortly, and, the tenants of chivalry thus obliged - if only barely - he charged.

The _Chidori _keened as lightning played across its polished blade, and Sasuke braced himself in the saddle as he lowered the mighty spear to skewer his enemy along its length. He did not need his gift of insight to know that Itachi would sidestep the blow, for this was the simplest counter to a knight's charge. Yet the _Chidori_ was a spear that cut as well as pierced, and therefore the knight adjusted his hold in the last moment to catch the fallen knight with the gleaming edge.

There was an ear-shattering screech of steel on steel as the knight continued past on his charge, and the _Chidori _was nearly torn from his grasp by the unexpected force of the blow, though Sasuke braced it against his back and steered his mount in a sharp turn, wheeling about the place where the elder Uchiha stood. The knight looked upon his brother in astonishment.

Itachi had caught the blade of _Chidori _in the steely grip of _Amaterasu_.

The coruscating energy that twined about the mighty spear seethed and roiled, and would have slithered across the steel suit of an ordinary knight to seize and lock his muscles. It was this paralyzing touch which was so deadly to the foes of the raven knight, for even should an enemy avoid a strike, the weapon might yet come close enough that the magic would arc through the air and course through his armor, and so render him helpless. To an ordinary knight, even a glancing blow was fatal.

Yet none had ever accused Itachi Uchiha of being ordinary. The power that hissed across the blade of _Chidori_ coiled about the black steel claws of his right hand, yet was met with that same twisted and violet fire, which seemed to consume it even as it leapt from the keen edge of the great spear.

There was a thunder of hooves, and Naruto swung his mace low as he sped past his enemy, yet Itachi, in a display of inhuman agility and strength, leapt full into the air like an acrobat, soaring over the blow. Sasuke twisted the shaft of the _Chidori _suddenly and pulled, and the weapon was let free as Itachi landed, the clatter of his armor a strange disharmony to the grace and lightness of the feat. Sasuke did not waste even a moment, and the spear was no sooner let loose then it swung again with lightning speed, upwards towards the lightly armored space beneath Itachi's shoulder, protected only by chain mail. This the dark knight dodged easily, and the next strike as well, when there was once more a thunder of hooves as Naruto charged again, having circled about after his first pass. Yet on this pass he did not gallop through, but reigned sharply, and his horse twisted and reared, clawing the air as the rider stood high in his stirrups before crashing his mace downwards with the weight of man and steed. The blow, even without the sapphire magic howling about it, would have shatter the skull of an ox.

Itachi sidestepped calmly, and bent like a reed as the downward blow flowed perfectly into a mighty sweep, twisting away from the upwards strike of the _Chidori _as Sasuke joined Naruto in flawless synchronicity. Yet the succession of swift evasions pressed him closer and closer to the moon-bleached sands, and as Sasuke reared his mount to bring iron-shod hooves crashing down on his enemy, the dark knight was suddenly enveloped once more in black flames, and, like a blazing comet across the sky, launched up and away from the two holy warriors before falling again out of reach.

"Truly," he murmured, "you have grown strong. But have you grown strong enough?" And slowly he drew his sword.

The blade was bright and keen, not the polished surface of steel, but a flawless mirror that reflected the light in perfect detail, and as Itachi drew it from its simple black sheath, it caught the last ray of the setting sun, and flashed a brilliant, bloody red.

Sasuke hissed. "_Mangekyo_. And who did you kill to get that?"

"You think too harshly of me, little brother." Itachi smile was mournful. "It was a gift."

"From Saint Madara in Heaven, no doubt."

"Now you are being absurd, little brother. Madara and I are hardly on speaking terms."

Sasuke gave no sign when he charged, yet Naruto's understanding of his friend was so perfect that a sign was unnecessary, and the two holy knights moved as one body. They were met with a great lash of fire as Itachi swung the _Amaterasu _out before him, but the _Chidori _swept it aside, and Naruto's path was clear to ride down their adversary. Yet Itachi made a strange swirl and flick with the mirror-like sword in his hand, and the image in the blade seemed to shatter and reform, and when the golden-haired knight reached the place he had stood, Itachi had vanished.

Sasuke saw at once where he had gone. The dark knight had reappeared high in the air behind Naruto, sword raised to cleave into the golden head as he fell. "Naruto!" Sasuke warned, but Naruto had already whirled, and the _Rasengan _howled as it swung to crash into black armor. Yet as it struck, the body of Itachi was not thrown away, but exploded into a flock of crows. Naruto spun his horse, preparing himself for a counter-strike, yet none came. The crows simply circled overhead, casting strange shadows in the moonlight.

Naruto was struck suddenly by the abiding silence of his surroundings, and he cast about to see what had become of the battle between Kisame and his friends. There was no sign of them, nor of Sasuke, and Naruto knew the cause at once:

He had been caught by enchantment.

* * *

Kisame was hard pressed by the combined assault of his adversaries. A well-placed blow from the _Okasho_ had thrown him from the saddle, and he was now forced to fend off three mounted knights while he was himself unhorsed. Most knights would have dismounted, compelled by chivalry to face him on even footing, but he had rather callously discarded chivalry at the onset of combat, moving to strike at the lightly armored horses. Chivalry tended to be rather vague about what was allowed at that point.

Lee and Sakura circled him, raining sharp blows down from their vantage as Kakashi dashed in and out, his spear held low to catch the fallen knight beneath the arm or behind the leg. Yet the _Samehada _twisted and spun in a masterful chain of parry and deflection, whirling weightlessly about the armored giant to catch every blow.

It was following a charge by Kakashi that the battle seemed suddenly to swing in the Cultist's favor. Catching Lee's sword in the teeth of his own, Kisame caught Sakura's wrist even as she swung her mighty hammer, and with a heave he pulled her from her saddle. His moment of victory was short-lived, for even before she had struck the sand her right hand had gone to her belt and drawn the sharp poniard there, long enough to reach past the edge of her steel-rimmed shield, and as she landed on her back with a muffled clatter she slammed the dagger towards his steel boot, pulling at her wrist as she did so to throw his balance. For a master swordsman such as Kisame, such a maneuver would have proved little trouble, had he faced the lady knight alone.

Yet even as he tried to shift one foot to avoid her strike and the other to preserve his balance, he found he could not; a fist of sand held his boot immobile, and the point of Sakura's dagger drove fully through the steel plate and leather and out through the sole. Kisame grunted at the sharp pain, but did not release the knight's wrist. At the sound of a charge behind him, he twisted his sword in preparation for another parry, yet found that Lee had trapped it now with his own dagger. His position had quite suddenly become very precarious, and he found himself forced now to choose between a glancing blow from the _Raikiri_ or the release of his captive.

Kisame was not stupid. As Kakashi charged, Sakura rolled free and stood to face the painted knight.

Kisame pulled with both hands at his trapped sword, and as it came free he sliced furiously at the puppet of sand that held his foot, which crumbled as the terrible weapon drained it of spirit.

Matron Chiyo, who sat her horse with Inari some distance from the battle, looked critically at the Cultist's sword. "That, young man, is a very troublesome weapon," she observed to him.

"I had noticed that myself," the squire agreed, also eyeing the giant sword. "It seems magic is useless against it, and he uses it so well that swords and spears might as well be. We may not even triumph through attrition; with every parry he steals a little of our spirit to sustain himself."

"Well," the old woman huffed, "one should not grow accustomed to giving up so easily. We have a few advantages of our own, after all."

"You mean numbers?"

"That is one, of course," she nodded. "But also talent."

"I am not sure talent is quite enough here, Honored Matron," Inari noted. "He seems very talented himself."

"Not talent, boy, _talent_." He looked at her, then his eyes widened. Chiyo smiled her old and crooked teeth at him. "Now you see it."

"How do we force him to use it, though?" he asked quickly.

"Observe." And with that the ancient magician raised her wrinkled hands, and the sands of the desert whirled into the air, coalescing into a thousand needle-like knives that hung suspended over the battlefield, and each one pointed directly at the black-armored giant in the center.

This sudden development was not missed by any of the combatants, and the three holy knights broke off suddenly to give the old matron clear aim. The knives launched downwards from all sides, and as they reached the fallen knight a shield of water suddenly engulfed him, and the blades impacted harmlessly.

There was a sudden light, and the _Raikiri _keened as lightning danced from haft to blade, and Kakashi charged again.

He did not miss.

* * *

"You have come very far, little Naruto." The voice of Itachi drifted about the blue-eyed knight, echoing across the illusory desert from all directions. "But not far enough."

"I never believed I had, faith," Naruto said through clenched teeth. He was turning his horse in circles, knowing it served no purpose but to vent his frustrations.

"Are you angry, little Naruto?" the voice asked mildly. "Anger can be a dangerous thing."

"You have not seen dangerous yet, faith," Naruto ground out. He was not angry, not really. Frustrated, yes, though more at himself than at the fallen Uchiha; he had, after all, been on guard against this very circumstance, and still he had fallen into it. Sasuke would never let him forget it. Besides that, the Taint he had taken into himself that day was even now plaguing his thought and spirit. He felt the mind of the demon welling up within him, contained only by a thin barrier of Naruto's will - a will which might soon fail, catastrophically.

A flutter of curiosity seemed to pass across the enchanted landscape, followed by a sense of disappointment. "The Keeper desires peace, little Naruto," the voice of Itachi whispered. "Why do you refuse it?"

"Why do you always insist on riddles, faith?" the knight muttered. A flicker of amusement seemed to touch his surroundings.

"Why do you insist on living a lie?" An image danced before the knight's eyes, and his heart skipped as, for a moment, he forgot to breathe. Then he clenched his eyes shut and shook his head as if to shake the image away. "It is foretold thus," the voice declared softly. "Will you renounce your place in prophecy? Will you condemn the world?"

He could not. He knew that. Itachi knew that. Another image flashed before him, and the conflict in his heart was suddenly a sharp pain. He felt his resolve weaken, and a quiet despair began to surge up from the depth of his spirit.

The failure of his will was quiet and resigned. The rise of the demon was not.

* * *

Naruto had fallen from his horse as he had been claimed by Itachi's enchantment, and the traitorous Uchiha had determinedly kept himself between the golden-headed knight and the increasingly desperate Sasuke. The raven knight had drawn his own sword in his left hand to counter the _Mangekyo_, and the flurry of blows he rained down from his saddle left even the legendary Itachi no room for error, sword and spear moving with deadly grace to open and exploit any weakness.

"Have you told him, little brother?" Itachi murmured, just loud enough to reach Sasuke over the clash of steel. Sasuke made no answer, though his eyes flashed red for a moment as he was claimed by a sudden surge of emotion. Itachi remained expressionless. "I had thought not. Is it not a great irony? That the word of God should now waylay His own Purpose?"

"What would you know of God?" Sasuke hissed, punctuating his words with a particularly vicious strike. Itachi only smiled sadly, deflecting the blow on his gauntlet and parrying the next with the _Mangekyo_. The image on the blade rippled, and Sasuke felt the subtle touch of enchantment close about him, but with a flash of insight he thrust his mind out like a blade, cleaving the carefully woven illusion before it could form. It was Itachi's third attempt to ensnare him. Sasuke was growing rather disappointed with his brother. Itachi disengaged with a great backwards leap, and the holy knight swept the _Chidori _across the field, a lash of crackling lightning snapping from its tip towards his enemy. Itachi caught the spell firmly in the grasp of _Amaterasu_, and with a hiss the holy energy was swiftly consumed by the violet power of the tainted magic. Sasuke released the line before the black flames reached him, and swung his sword in a wide arc as he launched a barrage of screaming bolts at the fallen knight. These Itachi caught upon the surface of his mirror-like blade, casting them off like drops of water. The _Mangekyo _flashed, and Itachi vanished.

Sasuke was forced to admit his brother's illusions were far more dangerous than his enchantments. That was not to say his enchantments were not of suburb, even legendary quality, for they were, nor that he was particularly more adept with illusions; rather, Sasuke was particularly _less _adept at countering them.

Sasuke cast his own illusion, concealing himself even as he sent his image towards the body of Naruto. There was a flicker of motion, which might easily have been dismissed as a trick of the moonlight, as Sasuke felt Itachi move to enchant his image. With a careful twist of his left hand and a muttered spell, the raven knight wove his own enchantment about his brother.

A sharp blow at the base of his neck knocked him from his saddle, and Sasuke quickly rolled to his feet even as he lunged with his spear. The _Chidori _pierced the black armor of his brother with a steely shriek, only for the body to explode into a flock of crows. Sasuke cursed. Even as he had thought his brother was casting an enchantment upon his image, he was himself casting an enchantment upon Itachi's image, while Itachi had taken the opportunity to enchant _him_.

Naruto would never let him forget this.

Red eyes flashed as a drop of blood slid slowly down the side of his face, and the strands of magic which wove about him were suddenly, brilliantly clear. He cast out with his mind, severing the central chord, and opened his eyes. His brother stood over him, the _Mangekyo _resting lightly between his gorget and helm. Itachi's face was expressionless, but there seemed a momentary shadow of emotion in his black eyes.

The awakening of the demon drove the wind from the assembled knights, and Itachi spun to look at the sprawled form of Naruto in surprise - or, at the least, what passed for surprise for a man such as Itachi. Sasuke, in an act bordering on the unchivalrous, did not pass on the opportunity to swing at his enemy's back.

Itachi merely dissolved into black flame, reappearing beside the giant Kisame in an explosion of fire.

Kisame had not fared well after suffering a solid blow by the _Raikiri_. His muscles were numbed, and it was only by force of will that he had been able to lift his sword, or even stand. His armor had quickly grown scratched and dented as he had suffered more and more glancing blows, until the _Samehada_ had succeeded in replenishing his strength. Even then, his blows lacked the same power, and his parries were not so flawless. He would soon have been overwhelmed, were it not for Itachi's timely intervention.

"We leave," the fallen Uchiha said simply, and Kisame nodded without question. Their dreadsteeds thundered past, heeding some silent call, and both dark knights swung into their saddles and were soon gone from sight.

The company was left to deal with the aftermath.

* * *

The demon had been unusually complacent, the party later agreed. The sandstorm it raised had seemed decidedly half-hearted, and the stone formations were, rather than obliterated, simply pulverized by its raging. Most tellingly, only a single tail had drifted along behind Naruto throughout the rampage, rather than the two or three characteristic of a truly magnificent fury. Sasuke and Kakashi had proved sufficient to subdue it. Sakura noted that it had paid particular attention to Sasuke. Naruto, for once, did not complain about resting for the remainder of the night.

The company was subdued as they ate the rather tasteless rations they had procured from the chapterhouse at Ah-Rena, each preferring the privacy of his or her own thoughts over whatever conversation they might manage to stir up. This was a natural state for Sasuke and Kakashi, and even, to a degree, Sakura, but it was a strange turn of character for the others. Sakura was reminded keenly that she and her fellow knights often overlooked the importance of Naruto as a friend and companion; his mere presence seemed to lift up and lighten their spirits, and the importance of this simple contribution went unnoticed until it was occasioned to be withdrawn. The lady knight considered idly the philosophical implications of Naruto's centrality to her happiness. It was a train of thought upon which she had begun to touch with surprising regularity since their reunion at Myoboku, and she was honest enough with herself to admit the implications of _that, _as well.

She allowed her gaze to drift to the slumped form of the boy who occupied her thoughts. "Not a boy," she corrected silently, "a man." It was a change she had noted with pride and no small measure of admiration upon seeing him again after so long. He had changed, yes, but he was still her Naruto. Sakura was likewise sufficiently honest with herself to admit to a wide streak of possessiveness, and that she was of an age during which her perceptions were rather strongly colored by certain impulses. The thought of making Naruto _hers _was, she decided, quite an enjoyable diversion, and she allowed herself that indulgence, recognizing it for what it was and therefore not pursuing the matter with particular seriousness. Seriousness, she had learned at a young age, had a tendency to get a young woman into trouble. With that in mind, her gaze slid towards Sasuke, and he was seamlessly included in her secret entertainments.

It was as she was glancing once more at Naruto that she noticed Sasuke doing the same, and, had her mind perhaps not already been occupied by certain thoughts, she would have dismissed it as nothing more than the act of a concerned friend. As it was, however, it proved a very simple thing for her mind to hop from her current amusements to a certain insight, and she suddenly went rigid in disbelief as that insight crashed over her with the full weight of its importance. Sasuke, as if sensing her shock, turned to her and pinned her with a look that confirmed absolutely the conclusion to which she had so abruptly leapt; the signs on his face were subtle - invisible, even, to all but a few - yet they spoke to her as clearly as if he had voiced his thoughts aloud. He had known at once, by some inhuman insight of his own, that she had come to this certain realization, and the look he gave her now told her exactly that, even as it told her he knew exactly what it meant, and challenged her to act on it.

Their eyes met only for a moment, and then the raven knight lowered his gaze absently as he continued his meal, as if nothing had passed between them. It took Sakura a moment longer to recover, though when she did it was with the same apparent ease as Sasuke. She glanced about her to see if any of the others had been witness to that telling moment. Naruto, Inari, and Lee seemed utterly oblivious, and though Kakashi gave no apparent indication that he had been aware of the silent interaction, Sakura was quite certain that that was an act. The Matron Chiyo made no secret that she had noticed something, shrewd eyes moving between Sasuke and Sakura with obvious interest, yet the lady knight was confident that the old woman would be unable to recognize the matter for what it was.

Though somewhat surprising for his character, it was not terribly unexpected, given the events of the day, when Naruto was the first to excuse himself and retire to his tent. Nor was it considered especially odd when Sasuke followed shortly thereafter. The level of attention paid to that unremarkable occasion by a certain lady knight was, however, decidedly unusual.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_No, that was not worth the wait. I expected the chapter to practically write itself, and it didn't. I can't even promise the next update will be more timely._

_To be honest, I'm starting to get bored with this story. I knew it would happen eventually, and I think this is actually the longest I've gone before it's happened, but that probably won't make you feel any better about what I'm going to say next. Unless some reviewer manages to inspire or motivate me, or someone volunteers as a Beta Reader, this will probably be the last chapter I post for _Silver Sun_ for a while. I may come back to it eventually, but right now I have other story ideas I want to explore in other fandoms. All it would really take for me to keep working on _Silver Sun _is a few good conversations with someone actually interested in it. That's not me fishing for reviews, that's just the way it is. Sorry._


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